Camels as biosurveillance sentinels Risk at the human camel interface
Abstract
Camels share a history with humans and are an integral part of the economies and subsistence agricultural practices in parts of Africa and Asia. With the identification of camels as a reservoir for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), there is increased interest in studying their role in the maintenance of zoonotic pathogens. Camels are reservoirs of several ‘select agents’, including; Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), tick borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), and Coxiella burnetii (Q fever). Detection of pathogens can be challenging owing to the short duration of infection or low levels of the organism in the sample material. Serologic assays can provide retrospective evidence for pathogen exposure. Kazakhstan has a large camel population of close to 200,000 animals and with several endemic ‘select agents’ identified in the country. Studying pathogen exposure at the camel-human interface will allow us determine high risk areas for the prevalence of a certain pathogen and therefore potential cross-species transmission. Additionally, by understanding the interactions between camels, livestock, bats and their parasitic communities, we can estimate in which areas and under which circumstances spillover events are likely to occur.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 13, 2021
- Source ID
- HDTRA12110035
Entities
People
- Gavin Smith
Organizations
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- National University of Singapore