5 Aug 2021
EU’s International Research Consortium on Animal Health (STAR-IDAZ IRC) is calling on veterinary professionals to learn from the coronavirus pandemic and more actively study zoonotic viruses.
Joshua Silverwood
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Image © Alexander Mozymov / Fotolia
An international report has warned vets not to lose sight of zoonotic diseases such as influenza as the coronavirus pandemic begins to wind down.
The report from the EU’s International Research Consortium on Animal Health (STAR-IDAZ IRC) is calling on veterinary professionals to learn from the coronavirus pandemic and more actively study zoonotic viruses that could pose a similar threat in the future.
The paper was commissioned from an independent team of writers – including veterinary immunologist and professional editor Lucy Robinson – to comprehensively review the research on animal influenza viruses that has been published in the past five years, including studies on virology, pathogenicity, epidemiology, prevention and control.
The report finds that the industry has made good progress in understanding influenza, but warns that major gaps in knowledge and preparedness for a pandemic remain.
The paper highlights the importance of surveillance of animal populations, including wild birds, as well as developing appropriate diagnostic techniques and molecular studies to track the evolution of variants of the virus.
It also examines the future of animal influenza research, including how to leverage the rapid advances made in understanding the science of SARS-CoV-2 to advance knowledge of influenza and its control.
Alex Morrow, coordinator of STAR-IDAZ IRC, said: “The past year has been dominated by COVID-19, but influenza hasn’t gone away, with several potentially dangerous viruses circulating in wildfowl and livestock.
“Influenza is a global problem, and needs a coordinated global approach to understand and control it. This report is a major step in helping us establish the current state of knowledge on animal influenza and will be used to help direct future research in a coordinated way.”
European Commission research policy officer Jean-Charles Cavitte said: “Influenza is a constant threat to human health and animal production worldwide.
“To provide evidence to support the prevention and control of influenza, and ensure the world is adequately prepared for potential influenza pandemics in the future, we need to understand the current state of knowledge and related gaps so that investment in research and innovation, and its coordination at the international level can be targeted to achieve the best results. This review is an important step in that process.”
Hong Yin – of the Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and who chairs the STAR-IDAZ IRC – said: “Influenza is a global problem – a serious threat to human health and food security that needs a coordinated approach in researching the tools that we need to prevent and control this disease.
“STAR-IDAZ IRC plays an important role in this coordinated approach and this report will be valuable in helping us deal with influenza threat.”
