The Lancet–PPATS Commission on Prevention of Viral Spillover: reducing the risk of pandemics through primary prevention
Neil M. Vora, Latiffah Hassan, Raina K. Plowright, Richard Horton, Sonila Cook, Nigel Sizer, Aaron Bernstein
Abstract
The health and economic impacts from infectious disease emergence are substantial. 1 Bernstein AS Ando AW Loch-Temzelides T et al. The costs and benefits of primary prevention of zoonotic pandemics. Sci Adv. 2022; 8eabl4183 Crossref Scopus (89) Google Scholar Pathogens that are transmitted, or spill over, between animals and people are the source of most emerging infectious diseases in humans. 2 Jones KE Patel NG Levy MA et al. Global trends in emerging infectious diseases. Nature. 2008; 451: 990-993 Crossref PubMed Scopus (5197) Google Scholar Indeed, spillovers sparked five viral pandemics from 1918 through to 2009 (1918 influenza, 1957–58 influenza, 1968 influenza, 2009 influenza, and HIV), and peer-reviewed evidence strongly suggests that COVID-19 was the result of spillovers too. 3 US Centers for Disease Control and PreventionPast pandemics. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/basics/past-pandemics.htmlDate accessed: August 7, 2023 Google Scholar , 4 Worobey M Han G-Z Rambaut A Genesis and pathogenesis of the 1918 pandemic H1N1 influenza A virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2014; 111: 8107-8112 Crossref PubMed Scopus (170) Google Scholar , 5 Kawaoka Y Krauss S Webster RG Avian-to-human transmission of the PB1 gene of influenza A viruses in the 1957 and 1968 pandemics. J Virol. 1989; 63: 4603-4608 Crossref PubMed Scopus (0) Google Scholar , 6 Mena I Nelson MI Quezada-Monroy F et al. Origins of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic in swine in Mexico. eLife. 2016; 5e16777 Crossref Scopus (201) Google Scholar , 7 Sharp PM Hahn BH Origins of HIV and the AIDS pandemic. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2011; 1a006841 Crossref PubMed Scopus (819) Google Scholar , 8 Pekar JE Magee A Parker E et al. The molecular epidemiology of multiple zoonotic origins of SARS-CoV-2. Science. 2022; 377: 960-966 Crossref PubMed Scopus (93) Google Scholar , 9 Worobey M Levy JI Malpica Serrano L et al. The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan was the early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. Science. 2022; 377: 951-959 Crossref PubMed Scopus (149) Google Scholar Spillovers are a reminder that humans are inherently part of nature and that human wellbeing is intertwined with that of animals and the environment. As such, adopting a One Health approach when addressing viral pandemic threats is imperative. 10 Keusch GT Amuasi JH Anderson DE et al. Pandemic origins and a One Health approach to preparedness and prevention: solutions based on SARS-CoV-2 and other RNA viruses. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2022; 119e2202871119 Crossref PubMed Scopus (38) Google Scholar