Author: Hadia Zafar
Introduction
Biological security is defined as an integrated approach in managing risks to human, animal, and plant health. In the application of biological security, measures are put in place to assess, prevent, and mitigate any risk and threat to global health. A leading expert in the field of biological security, Dr. Ronald Schouten, explained that in changing times, there is a shift of focus on what is considered the greatest threat to biological security. This analysis does not warn of negligence in responding to any specific threat; it highlights the multidimensional nature of biological security. The greatest threat to biological security presently and in the future is naturally occurring emerging infectious diseases (EID) because of the effects of social practices that endanger public health, environmental changes, and inadequate EID notification.
Social Practices that Endanger Public Health
The present-day growth of industries and businesses is mainly determined by economic development, guided by the supply and demand chain. A global increase in protein consumption since the 1960s is a crucial example of this. The increasing demand for animal-sourced foods has stimulated animal production intensification and industrialization. The intensification of agriculture, specifically livestock farming, has resulted in many genetically similar animals. Genetically homogenous host populations are at greater risk for infection compared to genetically diverse host populations, thus increasing the risk of an epidemic if the disease is zoonotic.
Furthermore, farmers often aim to breed for higher production levels to meet consumers' demands and increase their profits. As a result, livestock is kept near other livestock species and often in less than ideal conditions. This housing practice is a risk to public health because if a single animal is infected, the probability of spreading the infection to other animals and farmers has substantially increased. A vital example of this it the H1N1 pandemic in 2009.
In the United States, government agencies, such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have laws in place that require safe farming practices and have methods to enforce such laws. Less developed countries may have similar legislation to the United States, but enforcement is scarce. The critical mitigation strategy to prevent infectious diseases arising from improper farming practices would evoke government intervention and enforcement of existing laws.
A societal practice that poses a risk to public health is the availability of wet markets. Wet markets are live animal markets that sell and often slaughter live poultry, fish, reptiles, and mammals for consumption. These markets have a daily introduction of new unregulated and untested animals, thus providing ideal conditions for zoonotic EIDs. Recent examples of this include Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS.) Since disease emergence from wet markets is common and the public has been notified of public health risks associated with this practice, the most effective strategy to decrease this risk would be more consequence-based enforcement of the International Health Regulations (IHR). This would require governments' proactive involvement to reduce the number of wet markets and surveillance from outside countries.
The final societal practice mentioned is the general public not adhering to laws that control spread during an outbreak. When an outbreak has reached a level to be categorized as a pandemic, the responsibility for controlling the spread has transferred from the government to every individual in society. The government should still make legislation regarding infection control and have enforcement mechanisms but if the general public does not actively try to change everyday interactions, gaining control of the pandemic is delayed. This results in a negative effect on the economy, education system, and socialization. To mitigate this risk, governments should have fines and possible jail time associated with not adhering to public health laws.
Environmental Changes
Changes in land usage, especially the conversion of natural habitats to different anthropogenic ecosystems, have been sources of disease emergence. This environmental change plays a vital role in the homogenization of biodiversityand affects disease transmission. As an increase in population occurs, there will be a continued need for urbanization and expansion. As demands for development persist, natural habitats will continue to be at risk for urbanization resulting in human interaction with novel pathogens. In order to decrease this risk, an integrated multidisciplinary approach is required. It is essential for public health officials and construction agencies to collaborate and conduct a risk/benefit analysis on developmental practices.
Another key environmental factor that affects the emergence of novel pathogens is climate change. The increase in atmospheric temperature can increase the incidence of disease by increasing the vector population size and increasing the duration of the season in which infectious vector species are present in the environment. Furthermore, many new infectious diseases arise in tropical regions, where the warm temperatures suit the lifecycle of pathogens and vectors. Climate change can cause EIDs commonly found in tropical areas to arise in other regions due to the changing environmental conditions and its influence on disease-carrying vector distribution.
A vital example of the effects climate change has can be noted through an increase in rainfall during harvest coupled with improper post-harvest technology, often resulting in contamination of agriculture commodities with certain fungi that result in mycotoxin production. Consumption of such commodities has resulted in disease outbreaks. Issues of this nature do not often occur in industrialized countries, but if it happens, it is accurately reported, thus preventing further consumption of said products. When this issue arises in less developed countries, underreporting is a concern, consequently presenting a risk to public health.
Finally, a consequence of climate change is the defrosting of permafrost, leading to transformed soil structures, vegetation, and habitats. Degradation of permafrost can enable the revival of deadly infections from the past. These historic pathogens should be considered novel pathogens because of the absence of previous exposure in the current generation of animals and plants. To mitigate the threat of climate change on EID, there is a need for more legislation that aims to reduce greenhouse gas concentration.
Inadequate EID Notification
To prevent the emergence of infectious diseases, there needs to be adherence to the Global Health Security Agenda, International Health Regulations, and timely notification to the World Health Organization of potential EIDs. There have been multiple measures that aim to prevent outbreaks, but the notification delay has contributed to the spread of infectious disease. In order to decrease this risk, there needs to be more funding allocated to surveillance and detection initiatives, as well as potential economic consequences to countries that delay notification after detection
Conclusion
The threat to biosecurity is continuously evolving. The greatest danger to biosecurity before Amerithrax was bioterrorism, but due to the amount of focus, policies, and legislation put in place after the event, the potential for a bioterrorist event occurring without detection has decreased. Similarly, there have been multiple policies and adherence to said systems to prevent laboratory accidents. In the instance of lab accidents occurring, the accident would occur in a contained space with experts who will adhere to control measures to stop the spread, resulting in a decreased risk to biological security. Emerging infectious diseases have multiple factors that experts have no control over, resulting in this being the greatest threat to biosecurity.
This article was prepared by the author in their personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the view of their place of employment.
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