How is the One Health Mission Studying Migratory Birds and Slaughterhouses to Prevent Zoonotic Spillovers?

Pune, June 19 (NationPress) To tackle and mitigate zoonotic spillovers, the National One Health Mission is focusing on the study of migratory birds and slaughterhouses, as stated by Dr. Naveen Kumar, Director of the ICMR-National Virology Institute (NIV).

Launched in 2022, the National One Health Mission (NOHM) adopts a One Health approach, marking a significant transition from reactive strategies to proactive preparedness.

Zoonotic diseases are those that can transmit between animals and humans.

“Over 70% of infectious diseases, especially viral ones, are zoonotic,” Kumar told IANS.

“This implies that controlling diseases in humans necessitates measures to manage the disease in animal vectors and the environment,” he elaborated.

Recognizing that an integrated approach is essential, the NOHM was initiated with collaboration from over 13 Ministries and Departments, Kumar highlighted.

This includes the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Science and Technology, and AYUSH, among others.

These bodies have established comprehensive surveillance systems encompassing human, animal, and environmental health.

Kumar noted that the necessity for this mission became evident during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the NIV was the only facility operational with a Bio-Safety Level (BSL) - 4 laboratory, the highest containment level for working with viruses.

“During the pandemic, it became clear that having more labs like NIV would significantly shorten our response time compared to what we experienced during Covid,” Kumar said.

The NOHM will feature a dedicated center, the National One Health Institute in Nagpur.

In addition to construction, the institute has commenced scientific operations.

The National One Health Institute will actively monitor various viruses in humans and animals, including wildlife and other vectors,” Kumar stated.

A national network of BSL-3 labs has been established to handle high-risk pathogens safely.

Moreover, four zonal NIVs are anticipated to be developed in Bengaluru (south), Jammu (north), Dibrugarh (east), and Jabalpur (central).

In emergencies, these labs could be deployed to respond to pandemics, Kumar mentioned.

The director highlighted that migratory birds are a significant source of new viruses.

“During winter, numerous migratory birds from the northern hemisphere arrive in India, potentially bringing new viruses. Close contact with humans and animals in proximity to these birds can lead to spillover infections,” Kumar explained.

This unique study, initiated in April by ICMR, will take place in select bird sanctuaries and wetlands across Sikkim, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.

The objective is to create a real-time surveillance model to identify and diagnose zoonotic diseases among bird sanctuary workers and nearby communities.

This will involve periodic sampling of birds and environmental specimens to screen for emerging pathogens, employing advanced diagnostic techniques such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) for early detection of novel infections.

Additionally, spillover infections can also occur in slaughterhouses, where animal-human interactions take place, Kumar noted.

“We are conducting a network project focusing on slaughterhouses to closely monitor workers, animals, and the environment,” he added.

Through these initiatives under the National One Health Mission, the NIV is essential as a resource institute, providing training and capacity-building to various stakeholders, Kumar remarked.

(Rachel V Thomas can be contacted at rachel.t@ians.in)