Warning system for animal diseases

Published on Sunday 13 August 2006 00:42

WORLD health officials have launched an early warning system to detect and control animal diseases that can be transmitted to humans.

Concern at the threat caused by zoonoses - diseases which pass from animals into humans - has soared in recent years with the spread of BSE, SARS and avian influenza.

Although these diseases have so far failed to cause widespread illness in humans, there are fears that new diseases could cross the species divide from animals to cause devastating pandemics in humans.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation of Animal Health (OAH) have now set up a global early warning and response system.

Health experts will monitor, predict and respond to emerging zoonoses in a bid to control outbreaks and prevent them from spreading.

They claim that current early detection systems are poor and have resulted in the relative inability to control diseases such as BSE and avian influenza.

Susanne Weber-Mosdorf, WHO assistant director general, said: "The spread of avian flu reinforces the fact that the animal and human health sectors must work closely together and that early detection and coordination is critical. This new network is an important step forward."

The early warning system will be used to issue alerts to countries when a disease begins to spread, describing its potential impact on public health. Teams of specialists will also be sent to effected areas to control the disease.

Dr Samuel Jutzi, from the FAO, added: "Sharing of information, epidemiological analysis and joint field missions to assess and control outbreaks in animals and humans will lead to the development of improved coordinated response to emergencies worldwide."

The creation of the early warning system comes after the Zoological Society of London warned that Britain was at high risk from emerging infections due to inadequate systems for monitoring animal diseases.

It called for a national surveillance agency to protect against diseases that can spread to people from animals.