Using a One Health approach to prioritize zoonotic diseases in China, 2019

Abstract

Background China is vulnerable to zoonotic disease transmission due to a large agricultural work force, sizable domestic livestock population, and a highly biodiverse ecology. To better address this threat, representatives from the human, animal, and environmental health sectors in China held a One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization (OHZDP) workshop in May 2019 to develop a list of priority zoonotic diseases for multisectoral, One Health collaboration. Methods Representatives used the OHZDP Process, developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), to prioritize zoonotic diseases for China. Representatives defined the criteria used for prioritization and determined questions and weights for each individual criterion. A review of English and Chinese literature was conducted prior to the workshop to collect disease specific information on prevalence, morbidity, mortality, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) from China and the Western Pacific Region for zoonotic diseases considered for prioritization. Results Thirty zoonotic diseases were evaluated for prioritization. Criteria selected included: 1) disease hazard/severity (case fatality rate) in humans, 2) epidemic scale and intensity (in humans and animals) in China, 3) economic impact, 4) prevention and control, and 5) social impact. Disease specific information was obtained from 792 articles (637 in English and 155 in Chinese) and subject matter experts for the prioritization process. Following discussion of the OHZDP Tool output among disease experts, five priority zoonotic diseases were identified for China: avian influenza, echinococcosis, rabies, plague, and brucellosis. Conclusion Representatives agreed on a list of five priority zoonotic diseases that can serve as a foundation to strengthen One Health collaboration for disease prevention and control in China; this list was developed prior to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 pandemic. Next steps focused on establishing a multisectoral, One Health coordination mechanism, improving multisectoral linkages in laboratory testing and surveillance platforms, creating multisectoral preparedness and response plans, and increasing workforce capacity.

Towards a global One Health index: a potential assessment tool for One Health performance

“…Rüegg et al [ 37 ] analyzed the logical relationship among the elements of One Health, using a system dynamics approach and proposed a formula for the quantification of One Health. Wang et al [ 38 ] established criteria for prioritizing zoonotic diseases, which included disease hazard/severity, epidemic scale and intensity, economic impact, prevention and control, and social impact. However, these studies have focused on the exploration of the One Health evaluation framework and methodology, without using global-level empirical data for analysis.…”

Zoonotic pathogens and diseases detected in Vietnam, 2020–2021

“…Several other countries have conducted similar studies. We used a common methodology of generating lists of pathogens/diseases to be prioritized based on expert consultation and review of literature and then determining their significance based on disease frequencies in the population [ [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] ]. Prioritization criteria commonly include measures of disease burden or frequency such as prevalence or incidence [ 19 , 20 ].…”

“…Prioritization criteria commonly include measures of disease burden or frequency such as prevalence or incidence [ 19 , 20 ]. However, if incidence or prevalence data are not readily available, especially in low-income countries, other proxy measures have been used such as epidemic scales [ 14 ]. Our study generated a measure of frequency that was used as one criterion for prioritization.…”

“…The list of common zoonotic diseases in Vietnam was similar to other countries. For instance, rabies, influenza, and brucellosis were commonly included in the list of priority zoonoses in Asia [ 14 , 17 ], and Africa [ 16 , 18 , 20 ].…”

Evidence Based on Global One Health Index: An Assessment Tool for One Health Performance

“…Simon et al [37] analyzed the logical relationship among the elements of One Health using a system dynamics approach and proposed a formula for the quantification of One Health. Wang et al [ 38 ] established criteria for prioritizing zoonotic diseases, which include disease hazard/severity, epidemic scale and intensity, economic impact, prevention and control, and social impact. However, these studies have focused on the exploration of the One Health evaluation frameworks and methodology, without using global-level empirical data for analysis.…”