Targeting surveillance for zoonotic virus discovery

Abstract

We analyzed a database of mammal-virus associations to ask whether surveillance targeting diseased animals is the best strategy to identify potentially zoonotic pathogens. Although a mixed healthy and diseased animal surveillance strategy is generally best, surveillance of apparently healthy animals would likely maximize zoonotic virus discovery potential for bats and rodents.

Keywords: ecohealth; mammals; pathogen; reservoir host; surveillance; virus discovery; viruses; wildlife; zoonoses.