This project will enable the Vietnam Department of Animal Health (DAH), other participating Vietnam departments, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to learn more about the animal- human interface of influenza and other emerging zoonotic diseases. The project aims are: (1) To strengthen the capacity of the animal health and public health sectors in Vietnam to design and conduct, and analyze and describe the results of local, regional, and national surveillance and research studies; (2) To develop and implement animal-human interface (AHI) surveillance and research activities related to influenza and other zoonotic diseases; (3) To identify and monitor the risks of and risk factors for cross-species transmission of influenza and other zoonotic pathogens; (4) To use knowledge gained from this project to support recommendations for better surveillance, response, and control efforts in both humans and animals, of influenza and other zoonotic diseases in Vietnam; (5) Provide the opportunity for enhanced collaborative efforts within Vietnam MARD departments and across other Vietnam Ministries, and the U.S. CDC, thereby enhancing the cooperation and coordination between animal health and human health; (6) Estimate the burden of disease of influenza and emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases, including measures of morbidity, mortality, and economic impact in Vietnam. The project consists of six main activities: (1) Building capacity of the Vietnam DAH organizations and public health agency (NIHE) to be able to develop and conduct a cross-section study of swine influenza at slaughterhouses in North, Central and South of Vietnam in one year (2), which provides baseline information for a six-moth longitudinal study of swine influenza at pig raising households (3) and for a six-moth longitudinal study of avian influenza at pig raising households that also have different poultry species (4); An assessment of the co-evolution, genetic diversity and lineage of influenza viruses isolated from swine (5); And laboratory and epidemiologic assessment of human, swine, and poultry influenza viruses co-circulating in Vietnam (6). Laboratory, epidemiological and statistical analyses will be used for these study results. All these activities will be conducted under the close collaboration between DAH, NCVD, NIHE and the U.S CDC.
This project will enable the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Vietnam Department of Animal Health, and the other participating Vietnam departments to learn more about the animal-human interface of influenza and zoonotic diseases. The project is relevant to public health and humans: (1) Develop and carry out animal- human interface surveillance and research activities related to influenza and other zoonotic diseases; (2) Better understand the co-evolution, ecology, and transmission of influenza viruses and zoonotic agents in animals and people in Vietnam; (3) Provide the opportunity for enhanced collaborative efforts within Vietnam MARD departments and across other Vietnam Ministries and CDC, thereby enhancing the cooperation and coordination between animal health and human health.
