University of Pretoria virus and bat researcher Professor Wanda Markotter has been appointed to a global high-level panel of international experts which aims to curb animal-to-human disease transmission that could trigger future pandemics similar to Covid-19.
The One Health High-Level Expert Panel is a joint initiative by the World Health Organisation, the World Organisation for Animal Health, the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation and the UN Environment Programme and aims to assess evidence and risk of the emergence of diseases that can spread between animals and humans, such as influenza, Ebola and Covid-19.
The panel saw 26 experts selected from more than 700 global applicants to provide science-based advice.
The panel also looks at the potential spillover of all animal-borne diseases to humans but has a strong focus on potential factors leading to a spillover.
The University of Pretoria explained that while the genesis of the Covid-19 pandemic has potentially been linked to bats, Markotter has stressed that this question remains unresolved, adding that though there is some evidence pointing to the presence of related viruses in bats, Covid-19 has not been detected in this species.
Markotter will also co-chair the expert panel with Germany’s Federal Institute for Animal Health Professor Thomas Mettenleiter.
The One Health approach recognises the complex and multidisciplinary issues raised by the interface of human, animal and ecosystem health, but she says environmental health has not always been properly represented in the global One Health initiative, so the inclusion of the UN Environment Programme in this new panel is extremely important.
Markotter says the expert panel has already identified specific aims at the first meeting this month and that it will start with systematic analyses of scientific knowledge about disease transmission, risk assessment and surveillance approaches.
A key output was identifying gaps and good practices to prevent and prepare for future zoonotic outbreaks, Markotter added.
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