Abstract:

With the global movement of people and increasing frequency of wildlife trade and their products, the reorganization and mutation of pathogens carried out by wildlife have accelerated with increased virulence, resulting in a constant appearance of new and recurring infectious diseases, which has threatened the biosafety and ecosecurity of China. In this review, we expounded on the background of the construction of the terrestrial wildlife-borne epidemic disease surveillance and prevention system in China and summarized the current status of the system development. The problems and deficiencies in the system construction were analyzed and countermeasures were proposed tentatively. The present situation was systematically analyzed from four aspects. Firstly, it summarized the necessity and importance of carrying out this work based on laws and regulations, departmental responsibilities, international implementation, and so on. Secondly, the current situation of the system construction was sorted out in seven aspects: monitoring sites, direct information reporting, talent team, rules and regulations, monitoring and early warning, scientific and technological support, and international cooperation. Thirdly, the existing problems were analyzed in terms of five aspects: imperfect laws and regulations, inadequate system construction, lack of capital guarantee, low degree of specialization, and insufficient basic research. Finally, proposals were put forward in these aspects: strengthening of laws and regulations, construction of surveillance and prevention systems, strengthening of basic scientific research, and carrying out extensive science popularization. After 15 years of construction, the system was initially established, the network of monitoring stations were set up so that the monitoring information can be reported directly through the network. The monitoring team has continued to grow, rules and regulations system have been gradually improved, monitoring and early warning capacity has been steadily improved, scientific and technological support capacity has been strengthened, and there have been more international exchanges and cooperation. However, owing to late start and weak foundation, the development foundation for surveillance, prevention, and control is not solid, and the overall level of work is low, which means: ① The current law is not clear on the division of labor in this work and the departments, where shifting responsibilities onto each other often happen. ② There are a large number of stations monitoring blind areas and national monitoring stations account for less than 30% of the coverage of terrestrial wildlife gathering and distribution areas in China; the current technical level of monitoring stations is low and active monitoring and early warning capability is insufficient. ③ Investment from the government budget is not enough to meet the needs of practical work and the investment channels of local operation funds and epidemic prevention and control funds are not good enough. ④ Approximately 80% of the front-line monitoring personnel are part-time workers and less than 10% are professionals; moreover, there is a lack of professional training. ⑤ The contradiction between public welfare and profitability has not been solved owing to the lack of basic research institutes and production enterprises. Monitoring and prevention of terrestrial wildlife epidemic diseases are the first barrier to strengthen national biosafety, public health security, and ecological security. It is necessary to implement the concepts of “Community of Human Destiny” and “One health” and clarify the division of responsibilities. We should increase capital investment, strengthen talent training, and consolidate the foundation of scientific and technological supports. Five suggestions are put forward: ① Make up for the legal loopholes and form an administrative structure in which the departments in charge of epidemic prevention and control of human beings, domestic animals, and wild animals have clear and separate responsibilities. ② Implement the plan of national monitoring station reconstruction and expansion project and establish terrestrial wildlife epidemiological investigation and public health early warning, prevention, and control systems. ③ Establish a scientific and reasonable funding input mechanism and strengthen the introduction and training of talents. ④ Combine superior forces to carry out scientific research and establish a deep integration and development mechanism of industry-university-research. ⑤ Carry out science popularization publicity activities in all directions and from various angles to form a good situation of group prevention and group control.

Key words: terrestrial wildlife, epidemic disease sources, infectious diseases, surveillance and prevention and control system