FAO report: New health approaches must be adopted to tackle the surge in diseases of animal origin

Explore the root causes to strengthen prevention

A poultry farm in Chad.

2013 rome, 16 December-Population growth, the expansion of agriculture and the increasing globalisation of food supply chains have dramatically changed the way diseases emerge, cross species boundaries and spread, according to an FAO report released today. Therefore, a new and more comprehensive approach is needed to address the disease threats posed by animal-human-environment interactions.

The report, World Livestock 2013: The Changing Disease Situation, notes that 70 per cent of emerging diseases in recent decades have originated in animals, some of which are directly related to the increasing human pursuit of animal-derived foods.

The current expansion of agricultural land into wilderness areas, coupled with strong global livestock production, means that "livestock and wildlife are in more contact with each other, and we ourselves have more contact with animals than ever before," said Ren Wang, FAO Assistant Director-General for Agriculture and Consumer Protection.

"This means that we cannot address human health, animal health and ecosystem health in isolation-we must look at all three and identify the causes behind the emergence, persistence and spread of disease, rather than simply waiting for disease to emerge and then responding," he added.

Multiple effects of disease

this new FAO report makes a strong case for new strategies to deal with the emergence of the disease.

The report pointed out that developing countries are facing huge challenges brought by various diseases such as human, zoonotic and livestock, which seriously interfere with the development process and food security. The recurrence of livestock epidemics has a major impact on food security, livelihoods and national and local economies in both poor and rich countries.

At the same time, food safety hazards and drug resistance are increasing worldwide.

Globalization and climate change have led to the redistribution of pathogens, vectors and hosts, and the risk of human epidemics from pathogens of animal origin has become a focus of attention.

The increasingly complex disease situation

according to the World Livestock 2013 report, changes caused by human activities have greatly increased the complexity of the global disease situation.

The current growing population and poverty, as well as poor health systems and infrastructure, remain the main drivers of change in the development of the disease.

But in order to expand food production, humans have turned what was once wilderness areas into farmland-bringing themselves and their livestock into contact with diseases spread by wild animals.

According to the FAO report, in fact, most of the human infectious diseases that have emerged since 1940 have originated from wild animals. For example, human infection of SARS virus may first be transmitted from bats to civet cats, and eventually to humans through animal markets. Some situations are just the opposite, that is, livestock bring pathogens into natural areas, affecting the health of wild animals.

In addition, more people are moving than ever before, and the number of internationally traded products has reached unprecedented levels, allowing disease-causing microorganisms to easily move around the globe.

Climate fluctuations (especially in warm and humid areas) have a direct environmental impact on pathogen survival, while climate change also affects host habitats, migration patterns and disease transmission dynamics.

The role of animal husbandry

new FAO research focuses on how changes in the way humans feed and trade animals affect the onset and spread of disease.

The "World Livestock 2013" report stated: "In response to population growth, income growth and urbanization, the world's food and agriculture has shifted its focus from the supply of cereals as a staple food to the provision of high-protein foods based on livestock and fishery products."

while livestock production provides substantial economic and nutritional benefits, the rapid growth of the industry has also spawned a number of health-related problems, the report notes.

The risk of transmission of pathogens from animals to humans can vary widely depending on the type of livestock production and the state of infrastructure and services.

According to the report, although intensive production systems are largely immune to high-risk animal and zoonotic diseases, these systems also have certain shortcomings, especially in developing countries and countries in transition.

Large-scale intensive production involves large populations of genetically identical animals. Strong biosecurity and health protection systems often prevent infectious disease problems, but major outbreaks also occur when pathogens become virulent, evade the vaccines used, become resistant to antibiotics, or spread along the food chain.

But the report also notes that emergency outbreaks in the livestock sector are not specifically related to large-scale intensification systems.

In small-scale livestock production systems, animals tend to be kept free-range over large areas, but their densities are still relatively high-which often facilitates the spread of disease, both within local animal populations and on a wider scale.

New ways to deal with disease

"The challenges in the various diseases discussed in this publication demand that we pay more attention to prevention," argues the book World Livestock 2013. "Conventional risk management methods are no longer sufficient."

in order to achieve this, FAO promotes the concept of "one health"-exploring the interaction between environmental factors, animal health and human health, bringing together human health professionals, veterinary experts, sociologists, economists and ecologists to work together in a holistic framework to address disease.

In addition, "the health of livestock is the weakest link in the global health chain. The problem of disease must be addressed at the source -- especially in animals," the report added.

The FAO report identifies four main areas for action:

reduce poverty-induced endemic diseases in humans and livestock

addressing biological threats driven by globalization and climate change

· Safer animal-derived food through healthy livestock farming

· Prevention of transmission of disease-causing agents through wild animals to domestic animals and humans.

In particular, United Nations agencies point out that we must prioritize the collection of evidence on the causes of animal diseases, and that the analysis carried out in this regard must focus on strengthening risk assessment and prevention measures.

In addition, international exchange mechanisms for general information on animal diseases and best practices in livestock husbandry and animal health risk management should be strengthened, underpinned by the concept of "one health.

http://www.fao.org/news/story/zh/item/210758/icode/

man of Feeding