24 July 2006
U.N. Health Agencies Launch New Disease-Detection Mechanism, July 24, 2006(Action is one of many steps to link disease surveillance in humans, animals)
By Charlene Porter
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington – International agencies for animal and human health are taking new steps in the ongoing global effort to improve disease surveillance in hope of providing better protections for both animals and humans.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) announced July 24 that they have launched the Global Early Warning and Response System (GLEWS) as a new tool to track the emergence and proliferation of zoonoses, animal diseases transmissible to humans.
A July 24 joint press release from the agencies describes GLEWS as a Web-based electronic platform that will combine data accumulated from all three agencies and their diverse constituencies to detect outbreaks or patterns of disease, and issue warnings as appropriate.
“The main expected outputs of GLEWS are better prediction and prevention of animal disease threats, through sharing of information, epidemiological analysis and joint field missions to assess and control outbreaks in animals and humans,” said FAO’s Dr. Samuel Jutzi. “That will lead to the development of improved coordinated response to emergencies worldwide.”
The announcement comes more than nearly three years into what has become a pandemic of avian influenza among bird populations. The highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza strain has caused the deaths of hundreds of millions of birds since it emerged in force in Southeast Asia in late 2003. It also has infected more than 230 humans, killing 133 according to the latest WHO figures.
Prior to 1997, H5N1 never had infected humans, and never had been a threat to their health. Now the virus can infect humans, but usually only when they have had direct contact with sick birds or their habitat. If the virus mutates further to become easily transmissible among humans, health experts warn that disease could sweep the world because people have no immunity to the virus.
A virus that emerged from the animal kingdom and became contagious among humans is thought to be the cause of the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1917-1918 when tens of millions died.
Many diseases that threaten human health trace their origins to the animal kingdom --- HIV/AIDS, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
“Today the spread of avian flu reinforces the fact that the animal and human health sectors must work together closely, and that early detection and coordination is critical,” said Susanne Weber-Mosdor, WHO assistant director-general.
This two-and-half-year old bout of H5N1 has been considered especially hazardous because of the vast numbers of birds affected. Many were birds in backyard farms, housed in close proximity with people. This is a matter of concern because the more frequent the contacts between humans and infected birds, the greater the likelihood that the virus will make the mutations to become more contagious and more dangerous.
Several initiatives recognizing the close relationship between animal and human health have been launched as the international awareness of the potential severity of the pandemic threat has broadened over the past year. (See related article.)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture sent four of its veterinary specialists to Rome earlier in July to assist with launching a new crisis management center that will serve as a nerve center for operations to analyze disease outbreaks, and deploy resources to contain and control outbreaks. (See related article.)
Recognition of the link between animal and human health and the need to support the improvement of veterinary capabilities in developing countries have been important priorities expressed at high-level international meetings on the pandemic threat. (See related article.)
For ongoing coverage, see Bird Flu (Avian Influenza).
