AN INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM FOR THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS-DISEASES IN FREE-RANGING AND CAPTIVE WILD ANIMALS

National and international systems for the prevention and control of infectious diseases of humans, domestic animals, and laboratory animals (rodents and primates) are reviewed as a perspective for proposing the development of a national/international system for the management of the infectious diseases of free-ranging and captive wild animals and for the translocation and reintroduction of endangered species. The system would foster cooperation, communication, and coordination of independent far-flung free-ranging and captive wild animal research and management programs throughout the United States and the world. This proposal includes subsystems for informally organizing the professional community, for fostering epidemiologic activities, for developing reference laboratory diagnostics resources, for developing an information/data base system, for developing a communications system, and for fostering other interactions.