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Max Filby|The Columbus Dispatch

The world is still in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic,but local researchers are working to stop the next outbreak right at the source.

COVID-19 is widely thought to have started in bats before jumping to another animal and then transmitting to humans in Wuhan, China, the original epicenter of the virus. That's why doctorsat Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine are keeping a close eye on animals right now.

Their goal, is to make sure COVID-19 doesn't infect an animal, mutate, and then jump back into the human population. They've also got their eyes on a number of other emerging infectious diseases to try to prevent them from jumpstarting the next pandemic.

>>Read More: Some Ohio hospital workers got COVID vaccine even though they didn't fit rollout guidelines

"This type of surveillance, it's a needle in a haystack," said Dr. Vanessa Hale, assistant professor of veterinary preventive medicine. "What we are looking for may not be very widelypresent … But, if and when we find it, it will tell us some really important things about who can get a virus."

Viruses are sometimes nicknamed for the animal they jump from, such as the H1N1 "swine flu" that emerged in 2009 and the H5N1 "bird flu" that first showed up in 1996, according to the federalCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ohio State researchers trying to prevent the next pandemic

Studying the way COVID-19 could jump from animals to humans is underway at the Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine.

Doral Chenoweth, The Columbus Dispatch

Although animal surveillance is always conducted as a precaution against infectious diseases, it's taken on new visibility and importance in the age of COVID-19.

Coronaviruses are common in bats, but late last year it appeared that COVID-19 was able to jump from mink to humans. Denmark, which was home to a majority of the world's minksand is the biggest exporter of mink fur, ended up killing most of the animals out of fear that they could re-infect people.

An estimated 60% of known diseases, such asrabies, salmonella, West Nile virus and Lyme disease,can spread from animals, according to the CDC.Around 75% of new infectious diseases in people come from animals.

"The idea of emergingdiseases starting in an animal population and jumping to humans is definitely a big concern,"said Dr. Jenessa Winston, an assistant professor. "Alarge percentage of infectious diseases that jump into humans come from an animal source or have an animal reservoir."

Preventing the next outbreak before it begins is always the goal. Butthe coronavirus pandemic has made it clear that may not always be possible, which is why the world needs to be more prepared, said Dr. Joseph Gastaldo, medical director of infectious diseases at OhioHealth.

In the time since the pandemic began in mid-March, local, state and national leaders were forced to scramble to prepare for the worst.

Central Ohio leaders developed a blueprint for the Greater Columbus Convention Center to be transformed into a field hospital that luckily never came to fruition. Area hospitalsthat were once competitorshad to collaborate more closely to plan for asurge in cases.

While the quick planning proved successful, Gastaldo said it shouldn't have to come together at last minute. Instead, the U.S. should treat public health and its health care system more like its military.

>>Read More: COVID-19: Only 4% of Columbus vaccinations went to Black residents, mirroring state trend

"Just like 9/11, this changed everything," Gastaldo said. "Ifeel that COVID will leave us in a better position when it comes to the next pandemic. … This is equivalent to a world war."

If temporary measures like masking, distancing, curfews and stay-at-home orders are the epidemiological parallel towarfare, then what Hale and her colleagues do at Ohio State may be the frontline of defense.

Surveilling animals for emerging diseases has a long history and is used at many of the nation's zoos. Animals moved from one zoo to another sometimes have to be quarantined temporarily to make sure they don't introduce a virus to their new home.

While not perfect, keeping a close eye on critters for diseases is tried and true science, Hale said. When it comes to emerging diseases, Hale said,if people take care of animalsthey'll also be taking care of themselves.

She's hopeful coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic that there will be more of a push and more funding for research on emerging diseases in animals.

"It's hard to get people motivated to do a bunch of testing and surveillance of animals when they may come up with nothing," Hale said. "This is something that is going to receive more attention because it's critical we do this … to prevent future pandemics. It's thatintersectionof human health and environmental health."

mfilby@dispatch.com

@MaxFilby

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Ohio State veterinary researchers hope to prevent the next pandemic - The Columbus Dispatch

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