Topic: 2024-Spread of Animal Viruses
Country: Canada
Delegate Name: Shyla Chadda
World Health Organization
The Spread of Animal Viruses
Dominion of Canada
Shyla Chadda
Forest Hills Eastern High School
The spread of animal viruses is important to address and can cause significant health, social, and economic consequences including pandemics if action is not taken. Zoonotic influenza viruses have increased the potential for a pandemic threat which urges strong surveillance in both animal and human populations as well as detailed investigation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 60% of infectious diseases are spread zoonotically which causes an estimated 2.5 billion cases of illness and 2.7 million deaths each year. Canada’s approach to the spread of animal viruses revolves around serious measures in order to protect human and animal health. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) creates inspections and surveillance programs to monitor diseases. These actions assist in guarding against the entry of animal diseases by controlling the spread of disease and having ready effective responses when issues of disease occur.
Canada recognizes the importance of the spread of animal viruses and agrees strong government methods must be used to control it. The avian influenza virus (AIV) is a contagious virus that occurs mainly in domestic and wild birds and is known to cause infections in humans. A highly pathogenic strand of avian influenza, H5N1, originally evolved in domestic birds in 1996. Human cases of A(H5N1) have started due to zoonotic transmission through direct contact with infected birds. Breakouts of A(H5N1) in mammals have recently been reported by The World Health Organization (WHO) in North America and many other parts of the world. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the risk remains low at the time, however, the risk of infection is higher for those who have unprotected exposure to infected animals. According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, (WOAH) it is often policy to cull poultry to stop AI. In 2022, Canada culled millions of poultry birds in an effort to suppress the outbreak of avian influenza. Breakouts of A(H5N1) in mammals have recently appeared in North America, including Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has implemented surveillance strategies to help. This includes a nationwide network known as the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance Network, (CAHSN) and animal identification programs that concentrate on collaboration of early disease detection and rapid response to animal disease threats. Canada aims toward a One Health approach. One Health is a program created by the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) that is integrated by sustainably balancing the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. This has been conducted by several federal government agencies such as the PHAC, the CFIA, Health Canada, and AgriFood Canada. While avian influenza is uncommon to cause serious threats in Canada, The Government of Canada prioritizes health and devotes many resources to mitigate the spread of transmission from infected mammals to humans as the CFIA is in the leading position of the effort.
Canada urges the United Nations to take executive action towards mitigating the situation of animal viruses in order to reduce the cause of infection and disease spreading to humans. Canada recommends establishing a sub-committee to further establish government policies that will help implement the prevention of the spread of viruses. This can be created by following the United Nations One Health plan that advocates the unity of animals and humans through the prevention and detection of diseases to contribute to an overall higher global security rate. Funding can be included internationally by anyone wanting to be involved in a change, and to help benefit those in greater need. Canada is involved in a greater change and hopes to help others as well.
