We need research and investment in these three areas:
1. Surveillance of wildlife for high-risk pathogens
Discover and catalog novel viruses, ease identification of pathogens and test vaccines against them.
2. Surveillance of people who have contact with wildlife
Identify communities living in regions with high wildlife diversity.
People in frequent contact with wildlife and patients with acute respiratory infection (ARI) or influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms should be included in the surveillance as a cost-effective method to identify early spillovers.
3. Improvement in biosecurity of the wildlife trade and animal markets
China’s wildlife trade has clearly played a role in the emergence of COVID-19 as well as SARS.
Routine disease surveillance and veterinary care, at farms and in transport to market, needs to be improved for the wildlife farming industry in China.
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Reference: ScienceDirect
Photo Credits: CDC/Unsplash
Prashant Bagga 