Wildlife disease surveillance at global scale needs stronger local networks: Study

A recent study has proposed a road map for countries to better monitor wildlife health and disease outbreaks. Previous research found that nearly 60% of the 107 countries it surveyed showed no evidence of a functional wildlife health surveillance system. This leaves ecosystems, agriculture, and human populations vulnerable to catastrophic outbreaks, the researchers say. The blueprint presented in the latest study offers actionable solutions to improve surveillance, said study co-author Sarah Olson, director of health at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). “Earlier research did a good job diagnosing the problem in terms of what’s missing, and what wildlife health surveillance needs to deliver,” Olson told Mongabay by email. “This paper goes further: it uses a Theory of Change to map out how we actually close that gap, given limited resources and fragmented networks, to reach real collaborative surveillance. The challenge now is scaling efforts and expertise through a global community of practice — no single organization can meet this need alone, and the more we collaborate, the faster surveillance can grow everywhere.” Olson and her colleagues write that unmonitored disease events have already inflicted severe ecological and economic damage; for instance, sheep and goat plague caused an estimated 80% decline in Mongolia’s endangered saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica), while highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) continues to trigger mass mortality across populations of wild birds and marine mammals. Mongabay recently reported on the spread of H5N1 affecting wild birds, urban wildlife, and live animal markets across cities like New York. The researchers say that if lethal pathogens can spread unchecked in heavily monitored megacities, the risks are vastly magnified in regions lacking basic biosurveillance. However, existing monitoring efforts remain plagued by sporadic, crisis-driven funding that evaporates as soon as emergencies subside, according to the researchers. To overcome these systemic barriers, the study outlines a collaborative road map or “theory of change” designed by the Wildlife Health Intelligence Network (WHIN) to establish lasting, locally led surveillance programs. The road map identifies six pathways. This includes shifting mindsets away from viewing wildlife merely as an economic liability; securing dedicated political support and funding; and adopting evidence-based practices. A fourth pathway includes deploying user-driven tools like the shared HAWK data platform, a service for managing wildlife health surveillance data. The other steps include strengthening frontline workforce skills, and mobilizing a global community of practice. Rather than imposing top-down mandates, the road map advocates scaling up proven regional models, such as WildHealthNet in Southeast Asia, to integrate community monitoring directly into national legislation. The authors noted that many of the recognized experts in this field are in high-income countries, creating a significant limitation in global representation. But Olson said the network is intentionally structured to reverse that imbalance, “by elevating local expertise from low- and middle-income countries along with Indigenous-led and community-led efforts.” Banner image: Dead elephant seal pups on a beach in Argentine Patagonia. It’s unclear how they died. Image © Maxi Jonas via WCS. Credits Topics