Animal and Zoonotic Disease Surveillance Systems: FAO/OIE/WHO Global Early Warning and Response System (GLEWS) International Meeting on Emerging Diseases and Surveillance 2007
Legal frameworks Animal diseases: OIE Legal basis: Chapters 1.1.2. and 1.2.1 entitled Notification of diseases and epidemiological information of the Terrestrial and Aquatic Animal Health Codes Human diseases, including zoonotic diseases in Humans: WHO: The International Health Regulations (2005)
GLEWS Global Early Warning and Response System for Major Animal Diseases, including Zoonoses - a joint FAO/OIE/WHO initiative July 2006
GLEWS background All three organisations have Early Warning and Response Systems in place Information gathering Official reports and notifications Non-offical information & media reports Information from other networks Verification Analysis and assessment Response
What is GLEWS? "GLEWS is a joint system that builds on the added value of combining and coordinating the alert and response mechanisms of OIE, FAO and WHO for the international community and stakeholders to assist in prediction, prevention and control of animal diseases threats, including zoonoses, through sharing of information, epidemiological analysis and joint field missions and to assess and control the outbreak, whenever needed"
Components of GLEWS Epidemic intelligence Alert Verification Assessment Response (under examination) Dissemination Added value of combining and coordinating efforts of each organisation
GLEWS added value Outbreak alert Combining information increased timeliness and sensitivity of alerts Coordinating search for information reduce duplication initiate active search when appropriate, e.g. in animal populations if human cases or vice versa
GLEWS added value Outbreak verification Combining increased timeliness and sensitivity of verification Coordinating avoid duplication of work
GLEWS added value Outbreak assessment and response Combining complementary competences epidemiology Efficient control strategy Coordinating Efficient resource allocation Avoid duplication with existing response existing structures
GLEWS added value Dissemination Combining (joint dissemination when needed) epidemiology context, implications, strategies etc Coordinating control of release of sensitive information coherence of information
Criteria for assessing if an event is to be covered by GLEWS unusual event defined as: first occurrence or reoccurrence of a disease/strain unusual event for the area or season. event associated with an unknown agent emerging disease with significant mortality and/or morbidity or zoonotic potential high morbidity and/or high mortality in humans and/or animals potential for transboundary spread potential interference with international travel or trade
List of diseases of interest to GLEWS Non zoonotic African Swine Fever (ASF) Classical Swine Fever (CSF) Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP)* Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)* Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) Rinderpest Stomatitis/Enteritis Zoonotic Anthrax Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Brucellosis (B. melitensis) Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Ebola Virus Food borne diseases Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Japanese Equine Encephalomyelitis Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever New World Screwworm Nipah Virus Old World Screwworm Q Fever Rabies Rift Valley Fever* (RVF) Sheep Pox*/Goat Pox Tularemia Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis West Nile Virus Note: shared information should not be restricted to diseases on the list *Diseases for which trend analyses and predictions will be emphasized
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GLEWS in practice: H5N1 related activities (July to December 2006)
Total number H5N1 related alerts (n=83), July-Dec 2006 30 Total nr of H5N1 related alerts 25 20 15 10 5 12 25 9 11 17 9 0 July August September October November December
Distribution of H5N1 related alerts by region (July-Dec 2006) 17% 27% 56%
Distribution of H5N1 related alerts by affected species (July-Dec 2006) Poultry Human Wildlife Swine
GLEWS next steps Resource mobilization Development of a web-based information system (" GLEWS platform") for information sharing Positioning of GLEWS response with other responses mechanisms/structures Development of GLEWS dissemination Joint web application and electronic distribution list
Components of the "GLEWS platform" Tracking component: Sharing of information of major animal disease threats, including zoonoses Risk assessment component: Provide epidemiological analysis and assessments of major animal disease threat, including zoonoses. Modelling component: Provide access to prediction and prevention studies of major animal disease threats, including zoonoses
Conclusions GLEWS is a good mechanism for combining and coordinating the alerts of OIE, FAO and WHO to assist in predicting, preventing and controlling animal diseases threats, including zoonoses, through sharing of information, epidemiological analysis and prediction Preliminary results of joint GLEWS tracking activities are encouraging
Conclusions The response activities of GLEWS should be redefined in the light of the existing response mechanisms of the three sister organisations The planned activities (epidemiological analysis, prediction, platform/website, etc.) should give more visibility to GLEWS and its new outputs will be beneficial to all stakeholders, especially those working in the animal/human health interface
Thank you