Global Leading Institute on Radiation Technology, 

KAERI hosts international education program to enhance capacity for surveillance and response for Zoonotic Diseases

A zoonotic disease is an infectious disease transmitted between animals and humans. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Avian Influenza, Ebola, the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and COVID-19 are the zoonotic diseases that have caused global pandemic threat. KAERI, in cooperation with the IAEA, hosted “Regional Training Course on Verification of SOPs for New Serological and Molecular Techniques” for early detection and control of zoonotic diseases by using radiation technology at the Advanced Radiation Research Institute (ARTI) from February 6 to 10, 2023. 

The IAEA launched Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) initiative in 2021 and the training course is part of the ZODIAC initiative was hosted by KAERI for the first time in Asia-Oceania region. IAEA designated KAERI as the IAEA ZODIAC Cooperating Centre in 2022 Twenty-four infectious disease experts from 16 Asian countries attended the event and lectures and laboratory practice on 'radiation-based vaccine development strategy', 'immunodiagnosis', 'molecular diagnosis', 'interpretation and standardization of diagnostic data' were conducted. 

Dr. Byung Yeoup Chung, Head of ARTI, said that KAERI will play a central role in the IAEA’s ZODIAC initiative for detection, monitoring and characterization of zoonotic disease pathogens through applied R&D activities by using radiation technology. He also said that KAERI will make more concerted efforts towards promoting international education and the development of new technologies by using radiation technology in response to the infectious diseases.