Korea needs to be better prepared for animal-to-human disease outbreaks

Zoo veterinarian Thierry Petit takes a sample for research on the coronavirus from a bat at the Palmyre Zoo, in Les Mathes, near Royan, France, April 21, 2020. REUTERS-Yonhap

More zoonotic diseases likely to emerge

By Lee Hyo-jin

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic has somewhat subsided in parts of the world, a fresh outbreak of the monkeypox virus has been reported, raising concern about the increasing threat of zoonoses ― diseases transmitted from animals to humans.

The coronavirus, as most scientists believe, originated in bats from southwestern China and has caused one of the worst zoonotic disease cases in history, but it is definitely not the first.

H1N1 influenza came from pigs. The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), carried by camels, is believed to be originally from bats. In fact, 60 percent of known infectious diseases and 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, according to the World Organization for Animal Health.

Although the monkeypox virus ― a reemerging zoonotic infection that is believed to have originated from monkeys ― has not reached Korea yet, experts say it is only a matter of time before the first case is reported here, amid a recent surge in cross-border travel.

"It is highly likely for Korea to identify infections in the near future. But unlike COVID-19, monkeypox is unlikely to lead to a pandemic, given its transmission characteristics. However, it will be a wake-up call about the looming threat of zoonotic diseases," Song Chang-seon, the head of the Korean Society for Zoonoses, told The Korea Times.

"Even if we manage to eradicate COVID-19, the world will encounter other similar zoonotic diseases originating in animals, some of which could be more fatal and contagious than the coronavirus," he said.

A study published in April in the science journal, Nature, found that by 2070, global warming will drive 4,000 viruses to spread between mammals, including potentially between animals and humans.

While the study stressed that not every virus is likely to become a pandemic like COVID-19, it stated that new animal viruses would increase the risk of public health crises if they successfully jump to humans.

In addition to climate change, Song said the exploitation of wildlife habitats and unsustainable farming practices are a big cause of zoonosis outbreaks, which seem to be becoming more severe and frequent.

"Widespread deforestation across Africa and Brazil's Amazon has had enormous impacts on wildlife animals, which were forced to move out of their natural habitats to areas populated by humans, leading to a higher risk of zoonosis outbreaks," said the professor of veterinary medicine at Konkuk University.

Test tubes labelled "Monkeypox virus positive" are seen in this photo taken May 22. Reuters-Yonhap

In addition to the combination of continuing climate change and urbanization, unsanitary conditions in wildlife markets in southern China, some Southeast Asian countries, or elsewhere where live animals are traded, increases the risk of the mutation of viruses transmitted between animals, which could then potentially spread to the human population, said Song.

The expert viewed that the government should take preemptive actions to prevent future zoonosis infections by using the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I would say that one thing Korea has achieved through the COVID-19 pandemic is the establishment of a rapid, robust virus detection system, which will be useful if new infectious diseases emerge," he said, referring to the country's widespread use of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests.

He also stressed that the health authorities should in particular continue to monitor thoroughly zoonotic diseases in other countries, which have not entered Korea, such as Dengue fever or the Ebola virus.

"But most importantly, Korea must achieve vaccine sovereignty," he said. "After grappling with the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in 2003, the government has largely expanded support for the development of homegrown vaccines targeting emerging infectious diseases, but we have yet to see meaningful results."

"As we've seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, countries that have failed to develop local vaccines, including Korea, had to rely on foreign products, which contributed to the delay of the nationwide vaccine rollout. This should not be repeated in the event of future pandemics."

Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said it plans to invest 194.5 billion won ($153.2 million) this year alone to accelerate the development of mRNA vaccines and treatments. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), for its part, plans to set up a committee comprised of external experts to introduce a sustainable response system for infectious diseases.

When asked what other support is needed from the government, Song replied that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety should consider simplifying the approval process for domestic vaccines, saying, "The excessively time-consuming process is feared to hinder the timely use of domestically developed products."

Site Map E-paper Subscribe Register LogIn
Site Map E-paper Subscribe Register LogIn