> Read more about the Online Pannel Discussionagenda and bios: https://prezode.org/news/prezode-s-discussion-panel

The panellists therefore discussed how we could better prevent outbreaks and tackle a potential pandemic risk.

Dr Hinjoy Soawapak, Vice President of the PREZODE General Assembly, opened the session by introducing PREZODE and its activities related to the webinar theme. The discussions were moderated by Dr Mariette Ducatez, research director at INRAE, and Dr Flavie Goutard, researcher and epidemiologist.

Dr Folorunso Fasina, Early Warning and One Health Intelligence expert at FAO began the discussion by explaining that avian influenza is a highly contagious viral disease affecting both domestic and wild birds. Occasionally, these viruses also infect mammals such as cats, dogs, and more recently, sea mammals, and pose a potential risk to human health. The disease is caused by viruses divided into various subtypes and clades that evolve rapidly and tend to be highly pathogenic, as they can exchange genetic material with influenza viruses from other subtypes that infect different species.

Dr Diego Diel, Associate Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, added that this ability increases the risk of the virus crossing species boundaries through multiple contacts with wild birds, domestic poultry, a close interaction of animals on farms, mobility, and trade. Avian influenza can now jump from one mammal to another.

Recounting the HPAI spread that hit South America in 2022, Dr Victor Neira, avian influenza expert and professor at the University of Chile, explained that large populations of birds, especially seabirds, were affected, with high mortality rates. On the continent, more than 60 mammal species, including cetaceans, were known to be infected. This contagion places a heavy burden on biodiversity, especially for endangered species such as the California condors.

Dr Aspen Hammond, a technical officer at the Global Influenza Programme at WHO, highlighted the public health concerns associated with avian influenza. Thus far, the majority of human cases are linked with close contact with infected birds or animals and contaminated environments. Even though the virus is not yet easily transmitted from person to person, the threat of an influenza pandemic is certain. The question is not if it will happen, but when it will happen. Just as it is difficult to predict when a pandemic influenza virus will emerge, it is also difficult to predict where it will emerge. Thus, all countries must have the core capacities to detect the virus and be prepared to respond to outbreaks in animals and infections in humans.

Studies on food security and food safety show that transmission to humans does not occur through the consumption of well-cooked infected poultry but through the processes before consumption, such as feeding, slaughtering, and cutting poultry, tasks that often involve women and children in developing countries. Dr Nguyen Thi Dien Associate Professor of Sociology at Vietnam National University of Agriculture mentioned the social and economic impacts of HPAI on the value chain: depopulation and loss of livestock and poultry, price distortion, fear of meat consumption, trade restrictions, and increased production costs. Fear of stigmatization can also deter farmers and breeders from reporting sanitary incidents.

The need for global prevention through a One Health approach

The interconnection between animal, environmental, and human activities and health facilitates HPAI outbreaks and spillovers. All speakers agreed on the need for a One Health approach to limit new outbreaks and the emergence of new variants. They highlighted solutions to reduce risks and help change behaviour strategies when facing HPAI. Among their recommendations:

Prevent avian influenza at its source

• Enhance community engagement for early detection and close monitoring.
• Develop comprehensive dialogue and co-create monitoring and reporting tools.
• Establish complementary disease control tools based on sound surveillance and consider local factors such as circulating virus strains and risk assessment.
• Implement movement quarantine measures.
• Reinforce biosecurity measures on farms and poultry value chains to ensure good hygiene practices.
• Organise vaccination campaigns for high-risk and/or endangered animal populations.

Rapidly detect, early report, and respond to animal outbreaks 

• Encourage countries to implement control strategies.
• Restore trust in sanitary and political authorities, particularly regarding vaccination campaigns.
• Promote early reporting to reduce the time required to produce effective vaccines.
• Share genetic sequence data of viruses from humans, animals, or their environments in publicly accessible databases quickly, even before peer-reviewed publication.
• Increase collaborative networks, labs, and research all over the world, with the FAO and WHO, the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework (PIP), the OFLU (the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)/Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) global network of expertise on animal influenza).

As a science community capable of reaching local, national, regional, and international decision-makers, PREZODE is crucial in informing and sharing data to prevent HPAI outbreaks. Its primary missions are to encourage exchanges among community members, advance its knowledge and practice sharing efforts, offer guidance to policymakers, and raise awareness among a broad audience.

Watch the full panel discussion