Impact of federalism and bureaucracy on zoonotic disease detection

Despite a consensus on the need for improved, integrated zoonotic disease outbreak detection systems in the United States, capabilities remain generally fragmented. Though there is significant work on the technical aspects of detection, there is a lack of research describing the intersection of policy, politics, and zoonotic disease detection and response, which is influenced by specific characteristics of the U.S. system of governance. This research analyzes zoonotic disease outbreak detection in the broader  framework of federalism, bureaucratic behavior, and institutional design using a case study approach. Selecting six outbreaks from 2000-2006 based on detection speed, literature from these outbreaks was reviewed to identify key factors that impacted how fast the zoonotic disease was detected. Second, structured interviews and a survey instrument (n=18) were employed to gain additional insight from practitioners in both animal health and public health on factors facilitating and impeding the detection of and response to zoonotic diseases. Respondents were asked about the interaction between the sectors (animal-human), between type of professional (practitioner-official-laboratory), and between levels of governance (federal-state-local). Findings from the literature and survey instrument indicate that institutional design and bureaucratic behavior play an important role in zoonotic disease detection, but not always a negative one. While empirical evidence suggests compartmentalization of knowledge in both sectors and different governance levels can be problematic in zoonotic disease detection and response, innovative State systems facilitate efficient detection and response. These results can inform improvements in zoonotic disease detection and response policy and practice at the local, State, and Federal level.