IAEA BULLETIN INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY IAEA’S Flagship Publication | June 2020 |
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IAEA BULLETIN INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY IAEA’s flagship publication | June 2020 | www.iaea.org/bulletin Infectious Diseases Vital testing equipment helps countries fight COVID-19, pg 6 Trained and equipped to fight animal and zoonotic diseases, pg 18 Combatting malaria, dengue and Zika using nuclear technology, pg 22 IAEA BULLETIN INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY IAEA’s flagship publication | June 2020 | www.iaea.org/bulletin The International Atomic Energy Agency’s mission is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and to help all countries — especially in the developing world — benefit from the peaceful, safe and secure use of nuclear science and technology. Infectious Diseases Established as an autonomous organization under the United Vital testing equipment helps countries fight COVID-19, pg 6 Trained and equipped to fight animal and zoonotic diseases, pg 18 Nations in 1957, the IAEA is the only organization within the UN Combatting malaria, dengue and Zika using nuclear technology, pg 22 system with expertise in nuclear technologies. The IAEA’s unique specialist laboratories help transfer knowledge and expertise to IAEA Member States in areas such as human health, food, water, industry and the environment. IAEA BULLETIN is produced by the Office of Public Information The IAEA also serves as the global platform for strengthening and Communication (OPIC) nuclear security. The IAEA has established the Nuclear Security International Atomic Energy Agency Series of international consensus guidance publications on nuclear Vienna International Centre security. The IAEA’s work also focuses on helping to minimize the PO Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria risk of nuclear and other radioactive material falling into the hands Phone: (43-1) 2600-0 of terrorists and criminals, or of nuclear facilities being subjected to [email protected] malicious acts. Managing Editor: Nicole Jawerth Editor: Miklos Gaspar The IAEA safety standards provide a system of fundamental Design & Production: Ritu Kenn safety principles and reflect an international consensus on what constitutes a high level of safety for protecting people and the IAEA BULLETIN is available online at environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. 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Views expressed in any signed article appearing in The IAEA’s work is multi-faceted and engages a wide variety the IAEA Bulletin do not necessarily represent those of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the of partners at the national, regional and international levels. IAEA accepts no responsibility for them. IAEA programmes and budgets are set through decisions of its policymaking bodies — the 35-member Board of Governors and Cover: IAEA the General Conference of all Member States. The IAEA is headquartered at the Vienna International Centre. Follow us on Field and liaison offices are located in Geneva, New York, Tokyo and Toronto. The IAEA operates scientific laboratories in Monaco, Seibersdorf and Vienna. In addition, the IAEA supports and provides funding to the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, in Trieste, Italy. Foreword Pre-empting and preventing infectious disease outbreaks By Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General, IAEA OVID-19 has been a painful reminder health professionals by providing vetted of how deadly and disruptive a disease advice (page 15). Ccan be. The IAEA has devoted considerable energy and resources to helping countries In this edition of the IAEA Bulletin, you will respond to the pandemic, working closely learn about infectious diseases more generally with key international partners. Our focus has (page 4) and how countries work with the been on the use of nuclear and nuclear-derived IAEA to build their capacity to deal with techniques for virus detection and diagnosis. them (page 18). In Sierra Leone, for example, specialists are drawing on IAEA expertise to It quickly became clear to me that a test whether bats are infected with the Ebola piecemeal approach to COVID-19, and to virus (page 20). In Latin America and the future outbreaks of zoonotic diseases (those Caribbean, IAEA support is helping countries transmitted from animals to humans), would deal with malaria, dengue and Zika as well as be ineffective. That is why, in June 2020, I the mosquitoes that spread these devastating launched the IAEA ZODIAC — ZOonotic illnesses (page 22). Disease Integrated ACtion — initiative to strengthen countries’ capabilities in early By controlling animal diseases, we can help “The IAEA is committed detection, diagnosis, prevention and control to protect livestock, communities and entire to doing everything of zoonotic disease outbreaks. ZODIAC is economies. Nuclear science has already helped about getting all of the capabilities that the countries such as Bulgaria (page 26) and Viet possible to help the IAEA has in zoonotic diseases and related Nam (page 25) to strengthen food security world respond to major areas and bringing them together in a and trade. Thanks to a vaccination campaign challenges to human package to address the deficiencies that many involving nuclear-derived techniques, foot- and animal health, countries face in terms of technical expertise and-mouth disease is now under control in and equipment. This unified platform will Morocco (page 28). Advances in irradiated using nuclear science help the world pre-empt and prevent zoonotic animal vaccines are also making a difference and technology, in the disease outbreaks and protect the health and in Ethiopia (page 30). coming years.” well-being of billions of people (page 5). I am inviting key partners such as the World The IAEA does not work in isolation. — Rafael Mariano Grossi, Health Organization (WHO) and the Food Cooperation with partners such as the WHO, Director General, IAEA and Agriculture Organization of the United the FAO and the World Organisation for Nations (FAO) to join us. Animal Health (OIE) is vital. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the IAEA became part Over 120 countries turned to the IAEA for of the WHO-led COVID-19 United Nations assistance with the virus, and we responded. Crisis Management Team. The IAEA’s Mounting our largest assistance operation ever, efforts have also been supported through we sent hundreds of shipments of vital testing contributions by countries, as well as from equipment and protective gear all over the the private sector, Takeda Pharmaceutical world (page 6). The IAEA provided expertise Company Limited. on the diagnosis and detection of COVID-19 using medical imaging (page 12) and one of The IAEA is committed to doing everything the fastest and most accurate diagnostic tests possible to help the world respond to major available, known as reverse transcription– challenges to human and animal health, polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) (page 8). using nuclear science and technology, in the The IAEA and its partners have also supported coming years. (Photos: IAEA) IAEA Bulletin, June 2020 | 1 Contents 1 Pre-empting and preventing infectious disease outbreaks 4 Infectious diseases and how nuclear science can help 6 Vital testing equipment helps countries fight COVID-19 8 How is the COVID-19 virus detected using real time RT-PCR? 12 A window inside the body and COVID-19 Medical imaging during the global pandemic 15 Overcoming the unknowns of COVID-19 18 Trained and equipped to fight animal and zoonotic diseases 20 Hunting for viruses in Sierra Leone with the help of nuclear technology 2 | IAEA Bulletin, June 2020 Contents 22 Combatting malaria, dengue and Zika using nuclear technology 25 Vietnamese authorities control the spread of African swine fever with the use of nuclear-derived technique 26 Bulgaria stops the spread of animal disease with the help of the IAEA and FAO 28 Morocco controls foot-and-mouth disease with the help of nuclear-derived methods 30 Irradiated animal vaccines keep Ethiopia’s animals healthy, helping exports and food security World View 32 We need a global response to the pandemic threat — By Maria Helena Semedo 34 A global victory against COVID-19 requires creative partnerships — By Takako Ohyabu IAEA Updates 36 IAEA News 40 Publications IAEA Bulletin, June 2020 | 3 Infectious Diseases Infectious diseases and how nuclear science can help By Nicole Jawerth nfectious diseases are health conditions pose a persistent threat. New diseases or caused by pathogens — bacteria, viruses, pathogen strains can emerge, and old ones Ior other microorganisms, such as parasites can disappear only to re-emerge later. Some or fungi. After invading the body, pathogens diseases and pathogens have several strains, multiply and disrupt how the body works. or variations. As diseases are constantly evolving, science and medicine have to keep The types and severity of disease symptoms evolving too. depend on the pathogens and host, namely a person or animal. In the case of COVID- When a disease strikes, it impacts human and/ 19, for example, some people show no signs or animal health, and can damage livelihoods or symptoms or only have mild ones, such and hurt economies. The effects are often as fatigue and body aches, but others have disproportionately felt by vulnerable groups, severe and debilitating symptoms that, in such as children, the poor, the elderly and/or some cases, can lead to death. people with compromised immune systems.