Zoonotic diseases account for more than 70% of infectious diseases worldwide. In the United States, avian influenza viruses such as H5N1 and H1N1 hold the greatest pandemic potential of known virus groups; therefore, bolstering the ability to monitor and predict potential spillover events from wildlife will be integral for taking steps to prevent human and domestic infection. This will require strong communication among stakeholders, the capacity to conduct active surveillance research, and having adequate supplies and equipment for quickly responding to disease events. As such, this multi-agency project aims to 1) build a communication network among stakeholders for rapid dissemination of wildlife disease events, including a streamlined method for tracking wildlife diseases in the state, 2) increase access to personal protective equipment for wildlife biologists, wildlife rehabilitators, and conservation officers, 3) develop a wildlife disease and response training program for stakeholders, 4) increase diagnostic capacity for wildlife rehabilitation centers and state wildlife health officials, and finally to 5) fully execute replicable study design to investigate the connection between water quality and the zoonotic potential of virus communities in Indiana waterfowl. This diversified project encompasses a One Health approach to wildlife diseases and will build a strong foundation for a wildlife health program that has been operating for fewer than five years. The overarching aim is to build a framework of stakeholder preparedness and response in the state and to demonstrate its feasibility with a research study design that will identify hotspots of potential zoonotic spillover to humans and domestic animals. The goal is to foster sound guidance for future policy decisions that are based on scientific evidence.
