Abstract

IntroductionIn order to identify priorities for building integrated surveillance systems that effectively model and predict human risk of zoonotic diseases, there is a need for improved understanding of the practical options for linking surveillance data of animals and humans. We conducted an analysis of the literature and characterized the linkage between animal and human health data. We discuss the findings in relation to zoonotic surveillance and the linkage of human and animal data.MethodsThe Canary Database, an online bibliographic database of animal-sentinel studies was searched and articles were classified according to four linkage categories.Results465 studies were identified and assigned to linkage categories involving: descriptive, analytic, molecular, or no human outcomes of human and animal health. Descriptive linkage was the most common, whereby both animal and human health outcomes were presented, but without quantitative linkage between the two. Rarely, analytic linkage was utilized in which animal data was used to quantitatively predict human risk. The other two categories included molecular linkage, and no human outcomes, which present health outcomes in animals but not humans.DiscussionWe found limited use of animal data to quantitatively predict human risk and listed the methods from the literature that performed analytic linkage. The lack of analytic linkage in the literature might not be solely related to technological barriers including access to electronic database, statistical software packages, and Geographical Information System (GIS). Rather, the problem might be from a lack of understanding by researchers of the importance of animal data as a 'sentinel' for human health. Researchers performing zoonotic surveillance should be aware of the value of animal-sentinel approaches for predicting human risk and consider analytic methods for linking animal and human data. Qualitative work needs to be done in order to examine researchers' decisions in linkage strategies between animal and human data.

Highlights

  • In order to identify priorities for building integrated surveillance systems that effectively model and predict human risk of zoonotic diseases, there is a need for improved understanding of the practical options for linking surveillance data of animals and humans

  • Examples of sentinels include the emergence of zoonotic diseases in wildlife populations concurrent with a novel outbreak of disease in humans such as West Nile Virus (WNV) [2,3], SARS [4,5], and Avian Influenza [6,7]

  • The Global Avian Network for Surveillance (GAINS) surveillance system, funded by US AID, has one of the leading avian surveillance systems and has over 100,000 birds included in their electronic database [9]

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Summary

Introduction

In order to identify priorities for building integrated surveillance systems that effectively model and predict human risk of zoonotic diseases, there is a need for improved understanding of the practical options for linking surveillance data of animals and humans. We discuss the findings in relation to zoonotic surveillance and the linkage of human and animal data. Examples of sentinels include the emergence of zoonotic diseases in wildlife populations concurrent with a novel outbreak of disease in humans such as West Nile Virus (WNV) [2,3], SARS [4,5], and Avian Influenza [6,7]. As a result of these recent events, there has been a heightened emphasis on the use of surveillance efforts in both domestic and wild animal populations. This includes the worldwide surveillance of wild birds for avian influenza. The Global Avian Network for Surveillance (GAINS) surveillance system, funded by US AID, has one of the leading avian surveillance systems and has over 100,000 birds included in their electronic database [9]

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