这些准则有两个相互关联的用途。第一，它们列出了调查野生动物种群中疑似疫情暴发的关键考量与最佳实践，与“同一健康”（One Health）理念以及世界动物卫生组织（WOAH）设定的标准相一致。第二，它们提供一份源文件，供国家、次国家及地方当局据以制定本机构的野生动物疫情暴发调查规程，并按各自的职责、能力和情境加以调整。这些准则不构成操作性规程，也不打算被逐字套用；它们提供的是结构、原则与参考材料，可据以制定切合当地需要的规程。
These guidelines serve two related purposes. First, they set out key considerations and best practices for investigating suspected disease outbreaks in wildlife populations, in line with the One Health approach and standards set out by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). Second, they provide a source document that national, sub-national and local authorities can use to develop their own pro- tocols for wildlife disease outbreak investiga- tions, adapted to their respective mandates, capacities and contexts. The guidelines do not constitute an operational protocol and are not intended to be applied verbatim. Rather, they provide the structure, principles and reference material on which a fit-for-purpose local pro- tocol can be based.