Since world war II, the development of a large number of antimicrobials and vaccines gave the illusion that the battle against infectious diseases was won. However, since the ’70 the discovery of several emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) brought infectious diseases back to the top of health policies and public concerns, reaching an unprecedented peak during the current pandemic. Several EIDs are featured by rapid spread and evolution, complex epidemiological patterns, relevant fatality rate and difficulties in developing effective treatments and/or control strategies. Most of EID are caused by viruses and origin from animals (zoonoses), with wildlife playing a major role in their emergence and spread. Socioeconomic factors, climate changes, de- and reforesting, increasing human encroachment in the wild for productive and recreational purposes, and more frequent interactions with wildlife, have been claimed as the main contributing factors. While the public focus is understandably targeted on zoonoses, the interface with wildlife poses a considerable threat for domestic animals as well, both in companions and livestock. Modifications of the habitats, crescent overlapping between wild and domestic animals areas, changes in farming systems, etc., lead to increased interaction opportunities and facilitate the emergence of new diseases. However, a significant menace is represented by well-known, shared infections of which wild animals can represent susceptible hosts that can also act as reservoirs or at least contribute to maintain, being involved in their epidemiology and evolution. The challenge of applying effective biosecurity measures and control strategies in wildlife can represent an insurmountable obstacle for disease eradication and thus a continuous menace for animal and human health. A plethora of diseases hosted by wildlife is responsible for direct and indirect economic losses in livestock, with consequences on human welfare as well. Finally, it cannot be overemphasized that the viral flux is often bidirectional, and microorganisms circulating in domestic animals can be introduced into the wild environment because of human activities. The impact on wildlife and ecosystem balance can be astonishing, especially when dealing with endangered species whose limited population size makes them susceptible even to minor perturbation of the fragile equilibrium. Based on these considerations, it appears clear that the monitoring of infectious diseases in wildlife should be a priority from several standpoints, because of the implications for the health, welfare and productivity of humans, domesticated animals and wildlife. Although common sense often suggests EIDs originate from low-income countries, natural environmental determinants have been reported as major drivers of infectious diseases threats events (IDTEs) in Europe as well. Similarly, while strain exchange can be facilitated in rural and low-management settings, domestic/wildlife interactions have been documented to affect intensive farming as well. Despite the relevance from a “One Health” standpoint, but also from productive and economic perspectives, updated and organized information on the topic is often lacking. Currently, available data mostly originate from studies based on convenience sampling, designed in the framework of specific diagnostic activities focused on the monitoring of single zoonotic agents. Such a narrow focus and study design prevent the understanding of the complex epidemiology and network of interactions among individuals, populations and even species over time and space. Having this in mind, the present project aims to perform an extensive and dedicated sampling activity on different wild species in a broad Italian geographical area and characterize the occurrence, frequency and features (biological, genetic, epidemiological, clinical, etc) of a selection of viral agents of both animal and human relevance.
Universita' degli Studi di Padova - Revisione di una proposta progettuale per la ricerca di Ateneo: 'Codice: BIRD225455- Titolo: Infections at wildlife interface: a threat to disease emergence'
Anna-Rita Attili
2022-01-01
Abstract
Since world war II, the development of a large number of antimicrobials and vaccines gave the illusion that the battle against infectious diseases was won. However, since the ’70 the discovery of several emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) brought infectious diseases back to the top of health policies and public concerns, reaching an unprecedented peak during the current pandemic. Several EIDs are featured by rapid spread and evolution, complex epidemiological patterns, relevant fatality rate and difficulties in developing effective treatments and/or control strategies. Most of EID are caused by viruses and origin from animals (zoonoses), with wildlife playing a major role in their emergence and spread. Socioeconomic factors, climate changes, de- and reforesting, increasing human encroachment in the wild for productive and recreational purposes, and more frequent interactions with wildlife, have been claimed as the main contributing factors. While the public focus is understandably targeted on zoonoses, the interface with wildlife poses a considerable threat for domestic animals as well, both in companions and livestock. Modifications of the habitats, crescent overlapping between wild and domestic animals areas, changes in farming systems, etc., lead to increased interaction opportunities and facilitate the emergence of new diseases. However, a significant menace is represented by well-known, shared infections of which wild animals can represent susceptible hosts that can also act as reservoirs or at least contribute to maintain, being involved in their epidemiology and evolution. The challenge of applying effective biosecurity measures and control strategies in wildlife can represent an insurmountable obstacle for disease eradication and thus a continuous menace for animal and human health. A plethora of diseases hosted by wildlife is responsible for direct and indirect economic losses in livestock, with consequences on human welfare as well. Finally, it cannot be overemphasized that the viral flux is often bidirectional, and microorganisms circulating in domestic animals can be introduced into the wild environment because of human activities. The impact on wildlife and ecosystem balance can be astonishing, especially when dealing with endangered species whose limited population size makes them susceptible even to minor perturbation of the fragile equilibrium. Based on these considerations, it appears clear that the monitoring of infectious diseases in wildlife should be a priority from several standpoints, because of the implications for the health, welfare and productivity of humans, domesticated animals and wildlife. Although common sense often suggests EIDs originate from low-income countries, natural environmental determinants have been reported as major drivers of infectious diseases threats events (IDTEs) in Europe as well. Similarly, while strain exchange can be facilitated in rural and low-management settings, domestic/wildlife interactions have been documented to affect intensive farming as well. Despite the relevance from a “One Health” standpoint, but also from productive and economic perspectives, updated and organized information on the topic is often lacking. Currently, available data mostly originate from studies based on convenience sampling, designed in the framework of specific diagnostic activities focused on the monitoring of single zoonotic agents. Such a narrow focus and study design prevent the understanding of the complex epidemiology and network of interactions among individuals, populations and even species over time and space. Having this in mind, the present project aims to perform an extensive and dedicated sampling activity on different wild species in a broad Italian geographical area and characterize the occurrence, frequency and features (biological, genetic, epidemiological, clinical, etc) of a selection of viral agents of both animal and human relevance.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
