The second AREVA-Pasteur Forum on “Impact of Behavioral Ecology on Emerging Infectious Diseases” was sucessfully held in Shanghai on November 16-18, 2006. The Forum this year was issued by AREVA and Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in cooperation with East China Normal University. Ecologial factors that have led to the introduction or re-emergence of new infectious diseases in human or animal settings were addressed in the Forum.
Dr. Vincent Deubel, Director General of Institut Pasteur of Shanghai inaugurated the Forum. He made an introduction on the background and important meaning of the forum. Dr. Wang Xiaoming, Vice-President of East China Normal University, Dr. Zhang Suhua, Director of Shanghai Municipal Veterinary and Husbandry Station, Dr. Dusan Francette, Consultant for zoonotic diseases on behalf of Dr. Bekedam, Representative of WHO in Beijing, Mr. Arnauld de Bourayne, President of AREVA China were present and offered a supportive presentation and address to the Forum. Mr. De Bourayne made an overall presentation of AREVA, underlining the missions of the company in China and its commitment to protect the environment. He also emphasized the importance of a long-term cooperation with Institut Pasteur to study the impact of ecological factors on emerging infectious diseases.
The Forum gathered 18 speakers from China, USA, France, Australia and attracted about 100 participants throughout China and outside China. They encompassed various disciplines and different sectors such as universities, academic institutions, CDC, and offices of agriculture. The speakers and participants have debated on the role of wild life trade and ecotourism in disease introduction, on the emergence of novel zoonotic diseases lethal to human and their impact to ecological health: BSE, Nipah, Hendra, SARS, avian influenza, AIDS, rabies, West Nile and Japanese encephalitis encephalitis.
The Forum has been a great success with a multidisciplinary topics covered and continous discussion and cooperation after the meeting. Some common projects and have been already discussed and initiated among speakers and with participants.
