The final frontier: using carcasses for one health surveillance at the ecosystem interface

Area of Science:

• Ecology and Epidemiology
• Disease Surveillance
• One Health Frameworks

Background:

• Anthropogenic activities accelerate disease emergence globally.
• Vertebrate carcasses are critical but overlooked pathogen transmission hubs.
• Declining scavenger populations increase carcass persistence and disease risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the role of vertebrate carcasses in disease transmission.
• To advocate for integrating carcass-based surveillance into existing systems.
• To propose proactive strategies for disease monitoring and pandemic preparedness.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing technological advances like remote sensing, camera traps, GPS telemetry, and machine learning for tracking scavenger-carcass interactions.
• Employing metagenomic sequencing for pathogen detection in carcass-associated microbial communities (necrobiome).
• Integrating ecological and epidemiological data within a One Health approach.

Main Results:

• Animal mass mortality events are increasing in frequency and magnitude.
• Scavengers play a dual role in amplifying or mitigating pathogen transmission.
• Technological advancements enable detailed tracking and pathogen identification.
• Carcass-based surveillance offers a proactive approach to early outbreak detection.

Conclusions:

• Integrating carcass-scavenger networks into disease surveillance is crucial for monitoring and mitigating emerging infectious diseases.
• A collaborative, interdisciplinary approach is essential for effective One Health implementation.
• Carcass-based surveillance complements existing strategies, enhancing pandemic preparedness.