Facing the risk of viral zoonoses, the French National Academy of Medicine creates an information watch available on its website.
Press release of the French National Academy of Medicine
June 9, 2022
Zoonoses are infectious diseases transmitted from animal to human or vice versa. Most often coming from wildlife animal reservoirs, zoonotic pathogens can be of bacterial, parasitic or viral origin. They are responsible for a large number of newly identified infectious diseases as well as existing diseases. After the Covid-19 pandemic, which impacted the whole world and caused the death of more than 13 million people according to WHO, zoonoses are a major public health issue.
Since 1940, 60% of emerging infectious diseases have been of animal origin, 2/3 of them come from wildlife, and the last 4 pandemics were caused by viruses. The first pandemic of the digital age, COVID-19 has hidden other major zoonoses with significant health risks.
The French National Academy of Medicine has deemed it necessary to create a selective and structured information watch on the zoonotic risk of viral zoonoses, which did not exist before.
This watch, intended for doctors, scientists, researchers, health and information professionals as well as public authorities, must allow access to news on this subject and to be immediately warned of any alert or risk.
Thanks to the multidisciplinary nature of the members of the Academy, this watch falls within the One Health concept involving human, animal, and environmental health.
The coverage of this watch is international, and publications are mainly in English and French. It is updated every 15 days.
Sources are selected according to their scientific value. They are of academic or institutional origin and come from major national catalogues, scientific and medical databases, publications from learned societies, research institutes and academies, institutional and academic websites.
Resources are reported in the form of bibliographic references enriched with keywords. These keywords come from a controlled terminology list that is regularly updated and accessible online.
A multidisciplinary team of six sourcers works on this watch according to this scheme and selects the articles they consider important in the face of zoonotic risks. It is made up of:
Jeanne Brugère-Picoux, member of the French National Academy of Medicine (4th division, veterinary science section) and of the Veterinary Academy of France (veterinary public health section), veterinarian, Honorary Professor from the National Veterinary School of Alfort. She is specialized in farm animal diseases (ruminants, pigs, rabbits, poultry) and comparative pathology. She is in charge of monitoring for livestock.
Anne-Claude Crémieux, member of the French National Academy of Medicine (1st division – medicine and medical specialties) and of the French Academy of Technologies, she is a physician, University Professor – Hospital Practitioner and Professor of infectious diseases.
Patrick Berche, member of the French National Academy of Medicine (3rd division, biological sciences section), physician, microbiologist, is chairman of Commission 6 (One human and animal health, infectious diseases, vaccines, health determinants, environment, food and nutrition & tropical pathologies). He is a specialist in molecular pathophysiology of bacterial infections and clinical microbiology.
Eric Leroy, member of the French National Academy of Medicine (4th division, veterinary science section) and of the Veterinary Academy of France (research and teaching section), veterinarian, virologist, specialized in viral zoonoses, UMR MIVEGEC research director of exceptional rank (University of Montpellier-IRD-CNRS) and co-director of the Biology of Viral Infections Department. He is in charge of wildlife watch.
Alain Philippon, member of the Veterinary Academy of France (research and teaching section), veterinarian, bacteriologist, former director of the laboratory of bacteriology at Cochin hospital and of Pasteur Institute medical bacteriology courses. Specialist in antibiotic resistance.
Serge Rosolen, member of the French National Academy of Medicine (4th division, veterinary science section) and of the Veterinary Academy of France (research and teaching section), veterinarian, clinical specialist in veterinary ophthalmology and ocular toxicology, and associate researcher at the Vision Institute. He is in charge of the watch for domestic animals and coordinates this monitoring unit on the risks of viral zoonoses.
Supprimer “The” Information watch on the zoonotic risk of viral zoonoses is available to all on the website of the French National Academy of Medicine in its SCIENTIFIC LIFE section https://www.academie-medecine.fr/veille-zoonoses/
PRESS CONTACT:
Virginie Gustin 0662524342 virgnie.gustin@academie-medecine.fr
