GlobaleffortaimstofinddiseasevectorsthatcanjumpfromanimalstohumansChinawillhelpleadaprojecttoidentifyunknownvirusesfromwildlifetobetterpreparehumansformajorepidemics-,accordingtooneofthecountryocollectsamplesfromwildanimalsandanalyzethevirusesdetected,saidGaoFu,headoftheChineseCenterforDiseaseControlandPrevention."Scientistswillcollectvirussamplesfromanimalssuchasbatsandratsforstudyusingtechniqueslikenextgeneration(DNA)sequencingtofindwhethernewvirusesexist,",estimatedtocostupto$,isexpectedtotake10yearsandinvolvesmanycountriesincludingtheUnitedStates,uldinfecthumans,itmaybepossibletodealwithvirusesusingpreemptivecontrolsandpreventioninsteadofpassive,reactivemeasures,Gaosaid."Weallknowtherearealmostcertainlynewvirusesthatcouldcausethenextglobalpandemic,butbasedontheexistingearlywarningcapacityfordiseases,wedonotknow,forexample,whichviruswillcauseanepidemic,"Gaosaid."Wearesurethatnewvirusstrainswillappearinthefuturealongwithchangesinourecology,environmentandhumanbehaviors."Forinstance,humansabuseofantibioticshasleadtothepotentialdevelopmentofsuperbugs."Therearemanyviruseslivinginwildanimals,sowecanidentifyvirusesandthoroughlystudythosethatcouldpasstohumans,"Gaosaid."Ideallywecandevelopvaccinesandadiagnosisforsuchvirusesevenbeforetheycausehumanepidemics."Itisknownthat263virusescaninfecthumans,butscientistsestimatetheremaybemorethanhalfamillionvirusesthatliveinbirdsandmammalsandthatareunknowntohumansthatmaybecapableofinfectinghumans,andtheyaretheprimarysubjectoftheprojectsresearch,,itispossiblethatjustasmallfractionofthemhavetheabilitytocausemajorepidemicsthatcausehumandeaths,,consideringthehugecostofamajorepidemiclikeSARStohumanhealthandeconomies,thefindingsoftheprojectstillhavethepotentialtogreatlyreducelossesthroughimprovedearlydiagnosisandidentificationofhostsvulnerabletoanewvirusafteranoutbreak,ntprovedthefeasibilityoftheGlobalViromeProjectandprovideshelpfulexperience,,knownasPredictandlaunchedin2009,withChinaaparticipant,ledtofindingsofmorethan1,$170million,nomicallyaffordableandcanbeusedfortheGlobalViromeProject,Gaosaid.。