The USDA will boost its surveillance among animals for diseases such as Covid-19 and create an early warning system against zoonotic diseases that threaten people and animals alike, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday. Early detection could prevent or limit the spread of the diseases.
“Up to 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases in humans can also impact the health of animals—we’ve seen this link firsthand with COVID-19,” said Vilsack. The USDA planned to spend $300 million in pandemic relief money for the new project on zoonotic diseases. The CDC says Covid-19 has been confirmed in domestic pets, otters, mink on mink farms and wild white-tailed deer.
With the additional money, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will expand its surveillance for Covid-19 to a wider range of animal species, increase its diagnostic capacity and investigate new animal detections and exposures. Creation of the early warning system “will require a multi-year effort,” it said.
In a six-page framework for the project, the USDA said early detection of zoonotic diseases before they jump to humans was essential in limiting or preventing human outbreaks.