The Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council convened an expert committee to provide consensus advice on the challenge of achieving sustainable global capacity for surveillance and response to emerging diseases of zoonotic origin such as avian influenza. The committee addressed the following issues:

1.      Reviewed the emergence and spread over the last several decades of a diverse range of agents of zoonotic origin;

2.      Summarized what is known about the causes underlying this growing phenomenon, trends in these factors, and the implications for long-term domestic and international development and security;    

3.      Assessed the evolving nature, extent, and risks of animal and human interactions, focusing specifically on recent infectious disease events of international significance, such as H5Nl influenza;

4.      Reviewed the historic human and animal health responses to emergent zoonotic diseases along with lessons earned that may be applicable to future threats.

5.      Reviewed the current state of and gaps in global systems for surveillance of zoonotic infections in human and animal populations;

6.      Developed conclusions on the appropriate balance between emergency response to threats and establishing sustainable global surveillance capacity for early detection, mitigation, and characterization of known, changing, and unknown threats;

7.      Identified and prioritized for the international context recommendations to strengthen and improve coordination of the human and animal health systems in order to achieve a sustainable and integrated institutional capacity for timely surveillance that could improve prevention of and response to zoonotic diseases across both realms; and

8.      Explored options—including policy and regulatory options, such as international agreements—to mitigate and decrease the threat of emerging zoonotic diseases worldwide, and to improve coordination between governments and other relevant international organizations.