Advancing Planetary Health in Australia: focus on emerging infections and antimicrobial resistance

Hill-Cawthorne, Grant; Negin, Joel; Capon, Tony; Gilbert, Gwendolyn L; Nind, Lee; Nunn, Michael; Ridgway, Patricia; Schipp, Mark; Firman, Jenny; Sorrell, Tania C; Marais, Ben J

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) outbreak in 2003 highlighted the importance of animal reservoirs as a source of human infection. Henipavirus outbreaks, including Hendra on the Australian eastern seaboard and Nipah in Malaysia and Bangladesh, demonstrated the importance of bats as viral reservoir species and of domestic animals (horses and pigs, respectively) as amplifying hosts. 9 For the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), domestic camels have been implicated as the likely amplifying hosts. 10 Fortunately, serological testing of camels in Australia, which is home to the largest population of wild camels in the world, has revealed no evidence of MERS-CoV infection to date. 11 Bats may also carry Ebolavirus, but its environmental reservoirs remain uncertain. 12 In general, the inter-relationships between animal reservoirs and amplifying hosts, as well as the circumstances that lead to pathogen overspill or backspill between wildlife, livestock and humans are poorly characterised. 13