Dear Subscribers,

 

There was a recent publication entitled “Wildlife health investigations: needs, challenges and recommendations”. This article identifies requirements and challenges inherent to wildlife health investigations, reviews important definitions and novel health investigation methods, and proposes tools and strategies for effective wildlife health surveillance programs. Impediments to wildlife health investigations are largely related to zoological, behavioral and ecological characteristics of wildlife populations and to limited access to investigation materials. These concerns should not be viewed as insurmountable but it is imperative that they are considered in study design, data analysis and result interpretation. It is particularly crucial to remember that health surveillance does not begin in the laboratory but in the fields. In this context, participatory approaches and mutual respect are essential.

Furthermore, interdisciplinarity and open minds are necessary because a wide range of tools and knowledge from different fields need to be integrated in wildlife surveillance and research. The identification of factors contributing to disease emergence requires the comparison of health and ecological data over time and among geographical regions. Finally, there is a need for the development and validation of diagnostic tests for wildlife species and for data on free-ranging population densities. Training of health professionals in wildlife diseases should also be improved.

Overall, the article particularly emphasizes five needs of wildlife health investigations: communication and collaboration; use of synergies and triangulation approaches; investments for the long term; systematic collection of metadata; and harmonization of definitions and methods.

The full paper is also attached for your reference.

 

Sincerely Yours,

 

TADs-Network-Asia

Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD)

FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAORAP)

39 Phra Athit Road, Pra Nakorn

Bangkok, 10200, Thailand

 

 



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