Pandemic Origins: Technologies, Challenges, and Policy Options to Support Investigations

The GAO was asked to conduct a technology assessment on pandemic origins. This paper summarizes their January 2023 technology assessment and describes:

(1) Key technologies available for pandemic origin investigations

(2) Strengths and limitations of these tools and how researchers use them to investigate pandemic origins

(3) Cross-cutting challenges researchers face in trying to determine a pandemic’s origin.

For this investigation, the GAO reviewed peer-reviewed scientific literature and other documents, including reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, the World Health Organization, and select national laboratories; interviewed government, industry, and academic representatives; and convened a meeting of 27 experts in March 2022 with assistance from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.