scholarly journals How accurately can we assess zoonotic risk?

PLoS Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. e3001135
Author(s):  
Michelle Wille ◽  
Jemma L. Geoghegan ◽  
Edward C. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Virus Discovery ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Virus Surveillance ◽  
Zoonotic Viruses ◽  
Zoonotic Risk ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Animal Reservoirs

Identifying the animal reservoirs from which zoonotic viruses will likely emerge is central to understanding the determinants of disease emergence. Accordingly, there has been an increase in studies attempting zoonotic “risk assessment.” Herein, we demonstrate that the virological data on which these analyses are conducted are incomplete, biased, and rapidly changing with ongoing virus discovery. Together, these shortcomings suggest that attempts to assess zoonotic risk using available virological data are likely to be inaccurate and largely only identify those host taxa that have been studied most extensively. We suggest that virus surveillance at the human–animal interface may be more productive.

scholarly journals How accurately can we assess zoonotic risk?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Wille ◽  
Jemma L. Geoghegan ◽  
Edward C. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Animal Health ◽  
Marked Change ◽  
International Committee ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Virus Surveillance ◽  
Zoonotic Viruses ◽  
Zoonotic Risk ◽  
Overt Disease

AbstractIdentifying the animal reservoirs from which zoonotic viruses will likely emerge is central to understanding the determinants of disease emergence. Accordingly, there has been an increase in studies performing zoonotic ‘risk assessment’. Herein, we demonstrate that the virological data on which these analyses are conducted are highly biased, incomplete, and rapidly changing with ongoing virus discovery. We document a marked change in the composition of virus data sets, with the increased sampling and metagenomic sequencing of seemingly healthy wildlife reducing the proportion of viruses that are likely zoonotic as well as those associated with overt disease. We also show that the available data are incomplete, with significantly more viruses described in the literature than ratified by the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Finally, we document unequal study effort toward those viruses perceived as important for human and animal health, inflating the proportion of seemingly zoonotic viruses. Together, these shortcomings suggest that attempts to assess zoonotic risk using available virological data are likely to be inaccurate and largely identify those host taxa that have been studied most extensively. We suggest that virus surveillance at the human-animal interface may be a productive approach.

scholarly journals Ranking the risk of animal-to-human spillover for newly discovered viruses

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (15) ◽  
pp. e2002324118
Author(s):  
Zoë L. Grange ◽  
Tracey Goldstein ◽  
Christine K. Johnson ◽  
Simon Anthony ◽  
Kirsten Gilardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Virus Discovery ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Zoonotic Viruses ◽  
Using Data

The death toll and economic loss resulting from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic are stark reminders that we are vulnerable to zoonotic viral threats. Strategies are needed to identify and characterize animal viruses that pose the greatest risk of spillover and spread in humans and inform public health interventions. Using expert opinion and scientific evidence, we identified host, viral, and environmental risk factors contributing to zoonotic virus spillover and spread in humans. We then developed a risk ranking framework and interactive web tool, SpillOver, that estimates a risk score for wildlife-origin viruses, creating a comparative risk assessment of viruses with uncharacterized zoonotic spillover potential alongside those already known to be zoonotic. Using data from testing 509,721 samples from 74,635 animals as part of a virus discovery project and public records of virus detections around the world, we ranked the spillover potential of 887 wildlife viruses. Validating the risk assessment, the top 12 were known zoonotic viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Several newly detected wildlife viruses ranked higher than known zoonotic viruses. Using a scientifically informed process, we capitalized on the recent wealth of virus discovery data to systematically identify and prioritize targets for investigation. The publicly accessible SpillOver platform can be used by policy makers and health scientists to inform research and public health interventions for prevention and rapid control of disease outbreaks. SpillOver is a living, interactive database that can be refined over time to continue to improve the quality and public availability of information on viral threats to human health.

scholarly journals Mitigating Future Respiratory Virus Pandemics: New Threats and Approaches to Consider

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 637
Author(s):  
Gregory C. Gray ◽  
Emily R. Robie ◽  
Caleb J. Studstill ◽  
Charles L. Nunn
Keyword(s):  
Pathogen Detection ◽  
Respiratory Virus ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Animal Virus ◽  
Virus Surveillance ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Cost Efficient

Despite many recent efforts to predict and control emerging infectious disease threats to humans, we failed to anticipate the zoonotic viruses which led to pandemics in 2009 and 2020. The morbidity, mortality, and economic costs of these pandemics have been staggering. We desperately need a more targeted, cost-efficient, and sustainable strategy to detect and mitigate future zoonotic respiratory virus threats. Evidence suggests that the transition from an animal virus to a human pathogen is incremental and requires a considerable number of spillover events and considerable time before a pandemic variant emerges. This evolutionary view argues for the refocusing of public health resources on novel respiratory virus surveillance at human–animal interfaces in geographical hotspots for emerging infectious diseases. Where human–animal interface surveillance is not possible, a secondary high-yield, cost-efficient strategy is to conduct novel respiratory virus surveillance among pneumonia patients in these same hotspots. When novel pathogens are discovered, they must be quickly assessed for their human risk and, if indicated, mitigation strategies initiated. In this review, we discuss the most common respiratory virus threats, current efforts at early emerging pathogen detection, and propose and defend new molecular pathogen discovery strategies with the goal of preempting future pandemics.

scholarly journals Metagenomic analysis of fecal and tissue samples from 18 endemic bat species in Switzerland revealed a diverse virus composition including potentially zoonotic viruses

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252534
Author(s):  
Isabelle Hardmeier ◽  
Nadja Aeberhard ◽  
Weihong Qi ◽  
Katja Schoenbaechler ◽  
Hubert Kraettli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Next Generation Sequencing ◽  
Early Detection ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Zoonotic Virus ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Zoonotic Viruses ◽  
Zoonotic Risk ◽  
Generation Sequencing ◽  
Diverse Virus

Many recent disease outbreaks in humans had a zoonotic virus etiology. Bats in particular have been recognized as reservoirs to a large variety of viruses with the potential to cross-species transmission. In order to assess the risk of bats in Switzerland for such transmissions, we determined the virome of tissue and fecal samples of 14 native and 4 migrating bat species. In total, sequences belonging to 39 different virus families, 16 of which are known to infect vertebrates, were detected. Contigs of coronaviruses, adenoviruses, hepeviruses, rotaviruses A and H, and parvoviruses with potential zoonotic risk were characterized in more detail. Most interestingly, in a ground stool sample of a Vespertilio murinus colony an almost complete genome of a Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was detected by Next generation sequencing and confirmed by PCR. In conclusion, bats in Switzerland naturally harbour many different viruses. Metagenomic analyses of non-invasive samples like ground stool may support effective surveillance and early detection of viral zoonoses.

scholarly journals A qualitative study of zoonotic risk factors among rural communities in southern China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong-Ying Li ◽  
Guang-Jian Zhu ◽  
Yun-Zhi Zhang ◽  
Li-Biao Zhang ◽  
Emily A Hagan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Zoonotic Disease ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Ethnographic Interviews ◽  
Zoonotic Risk

Abstract Background Strategies are urgently needed to mitigate the risk of zoonotic disease emergence in southern China, where pathogens with zoonotic potential are known to circulate in wild animal populations. However, the risk factors leading to emergence are poorly understood, which presents a challenge in developing appropriate mitigation strategies for local communities. Methods Residents in rural communities of Yunnan, Guangxi and Guangdong provinces were recruited and enrolled in this study. Data were collected through ethnographic interviews and field observations, and thematically coded and analysed to identify both risk and protective factors for zoonotic disease emergence at the individual, community and policy levels. Results Eighty-eight ethnographic interviews and 55 field observations were conducted at nine selected sites. Frequent human–animal interactions and low levels of environmental biosecurity in local communities were identified as risks for zoonotic disease emergence. Policies and programmes existing in the communities provide opportunities for zoonotic risk mitigation. Conclusions This study explored the relationship among zoonotic risk and human behaviour, environment and policies in rural communities in southern China. It identifies key behavioural risk factors that can be targeted for development of tailored risk-mitigation strategies to reduce the threat of novel zoonoses.

Zoonotic risk assessment and risk management in the red meat sector

2002 ◽  
Vol 2002 ◽  
pp. 252-253
Author(s):  
M. Attenborough ◽  
K. R. Matthews ◽  
D. Armstrong
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Zoonotic Risk ◽  
Common Causes ◽  
Zoonotic Bacteria ◽  
Farm Livestock ◽  
Meat Sector

Zoonoses are those diseases of animals that can be transmitted to man or vice versa. These may be caused by bacteria, parasites, or more rarely by viruses. This paper will concentrate mainly on the zoonotic bacteria Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., E. coli O157 and Yersinia spp. Foodborne disease, often described as food poisoning, is defined as disease due to the consumption of food contaminated with microorganisms or their toxins. In 2000, the most common causes of food poisoning in humans in Great Britain were Campylobacter spp. (60340 cases) and Salmonella spp. (16567 cases). Less than 100 cases of Yersinia spp. infections were reported in humans in England and Wales. Results from surveillance of zoonotic organisms in farm livestock were presented at two conferences organised by MAFF in 2000. The main results are outlined in table 1. It is not possible to guarantee the complete absence from meat of bacteria that can cause infections in people. Thorough cooking of foods should kill all vegetative bacteria. Nevertheless, it is also important that steps are taken throughout the supply chain to minimise the transfer of the bacteria that could cause foodborne disease.

scholarly journals Identifying and prioritizing potential human-infecting viruses from their genome sequences

PLoS Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. e3001390
Author(s):  
Nardus Mollentze ◽  
Simon A. Babayan ◽  
Daniel G. Streicker
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Early Investigation ◽  
Avian Host ◽  
Viral Genomes ◽  
Virus Surveillance ◽  
Zoonotic Risk

Determining which animal viruses may be capable of infecting humans is currently intractable at the time of their discovery, precluding prioritization of high-risk viruses for early investigation and outbreak preparedness. Given the increasing use of genomics in virus discovery and the otherwise sparse knowledge of the biology of newly discovered viruses, we developed machine learning models that identify candidate zoonoses solely using signatures of host range encoded in viral genomes. Within a dataset of 861 viral species with known zoonotic status, our approach outperformed models based on the phylogenetic relatedness of viruses to known human-infecting viruses (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.773), distinguishing high-risk viruses within families that contain a minority of human-infecting species and identifying putatively undetected or so far unrealized zoonoses. Analyses of the underpinnings of model predictions suggested the existence of generalizable features of viral genomes that are independent of virus taxonomic relationships and that may preadapt viruses to infect humans. Our model reduced a second set of 645 animal-associated viruses that were excluded from training to 272 high and 41 very high-risk candidate zoonoses and showed significantly elevated predicted zoonotic risk in viruses from nonhuman primates, but not other mammalian or avian host groups. A second application showed that our models could have identified Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as a relatively high-risk coronavirus strain and that this prediction required no prior knowledge of zoonotic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-related coronaviruses. Genome-based zoonotic risk assessment provides a rapid, low-cost approach to enable evidence-driven virus surveillance and increases the feasibility of downstream biological and ecological characterization of viruses.

Interspecies Relations: SARS-CoV-2 Spillovers on Mink Farms

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine Voelkner
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Human Disease ◽  
International Political Economy ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Interspecies Relations ◽  
The Impact

This essay argues for the need for research into multispecies relations at the intersection between international political economy, ecology, and disease emergence. It draws attention to the conditions of intensive agribusiness and modern livestock, which alter human-animal-microbe relations, facilitating the emergence of infectious diseases such as the case of mink farms and COVID-19. It also highlights the impact of infection on animals and farming economies. Through a discussion of the ways anthropogenic activities have historically changed the kinds, scale, and spread of human disease, the essay concludes with an appeal to rethink international political economy.

Biosafety Protocol, SPS Agreement and export and import control of LMOs/GMOs

2008 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Haseeb Ansari ◽  
Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmod
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
International Trade ◽  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Plant Life ◽  
Cartagena Protocol ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Living Organisms

PurposeWhen genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were put into the international trade, people in many countries, especially European countries, became skeptical of them. A perception developed that they are harmful to human, animal, plant life and health, and destructive to the environment. It is true that if there is no safe use of genetically modified living organisms (LMOs), other species might be affected causing loss to the environment. So as to ensure safe use of LMOs and GMOs, the Cartagena Protocol and the SPS Agreement were, respectively, made. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine both the legal instruments and to explore ways to make them co‐existent, so that human, animal, plant life and health, and the environment are protected without affecting the international trade in LMOs and GMOs.Design/methodology/approachThis paper undertakes a critical examination of the issues surrounding GMOs and LMOs.FindingsThe Cartagena Protocol and the SPS Agreement serve two different purposes. It is for this reason that some of their provisions are not co‐extensive. But the conflict in them can be resolved. It is suggested that the provisions pertaining to the precautionary principle of the SPS Agreement should be brought in line with that of the Cartagena Protocol. It is also suggested that importing countries should conduct their own risk assessment preferably by following the CODEX procedure. In no case, risk assessment done by producing companies should be taken as conclusive.Practical implicationsIf suggestions offered by the paper are followed, the two will then protect the human, animal and plant health and the environment in the best possible way.Originality/valueFor achieving its object, the paper presents a comparative assessment of the cases decided under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

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