| Titles | Abstract | Indexed Keywords | Author Keywords |
| Two Tales of Cardiomyopathy: Underscore for One Health Initiative | Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a common cause of sudden cardiac death, results from mutations in the cardiac sarcomere. Although there has been much scientific exploration regarding this disease, there is still much to be elucidated. This E-challenge highlights two cases of cardiomyopathy and underscores the need for future multidisciplinary collaboration as outlined by the One Health Initiative. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. | Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic; Death, Sudden, Cardiac; Humans; Mutation; One Health; Sarcomeres; amino terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide; atenolol; beta adrenergic receptor blocking agent; calcium channel blocking agent; thyroid hormone; adolescent; Article; blood cell count; cardiomegaly; case report; clinical article; clinical evaluation; drug dose increase; drug withdrawal; electrocardiogram; exertional dyspnea; fatigue; female; heart auscultation; heart left ventricle ejection fraction; heart left ventricle hypertrophy; heart left ventricle outflow tract obstruction; heart left ventricle wall; human; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; interventricular septum; laboratory test; loss of appetite; male; mitral valve regurgitation; muscle resection; nonhuman; One Health; periodontal disease; physical examination; Q wave; queen (cat); sinus rhythm; systolic heart murmur; thorax radiography; thyroid hormone blood level; transthoracic echocardiography; urinalysis; genetics; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; mutation; sarcomere; sudden cardiac death | cardiomyopathy; echocardiography; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; One Health; One Health Initiative |
| Colistin-resistant Enterobacter kobei carrying mcr-9.1 and blaCTX-M-15 infecting a critically endangered franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei), Brazil | The emergence of mobile mcr genes mediating resistance to colistin is a critical public health issue that has hindered the treatment of serious infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens in humans and other animals. We report the emergence of the mcr-9.1 gene in a polymyxin-resistant extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacter kobei infecting a free-living franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei), threatened with extinction in South America. Genomic analysis confirmed the presence of genes conferring resistance to clinically relevant β-lactam [blaCTX-M-15, blaACT-9, blaOXA-1 and blaTEM-1B], aminoglycoside [aac(3)-IIa, aadA1, aph(3”)-Ib and aph(6)-Id], trimethoprim [dfrA14], tetracycline [tetA], quinolone [aac(6′)-Ib-cr and qnrB1], fosfomycin [fosA], sulphonamide [sul2] and phenicol [catA1 and catB3] antibiotics. The identification of mcr-9.1 in a CTX-M-15-producing pathogen infecting a critically endangered animal is of serious concern, which should be interpreted as a sign of further spread of critical priority pathogens and their resistance genes in threatened ecosystems. © 2021 The Authors. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases published by Wiley-VCH GmbH. | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; beta-Lactamases; Brazil; Colistin; Dolphins; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Ecosystem; Enterobacter; Escherichia coli Proteins; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; beta lactam; carbapenemase; cefotaxime; ceftazidime; ceftiofur; colistin; cotrimoxazole; ertapenem; extended spectrum beta lactamase; meropenem; metalloprotein; nalidixic acid; penicillin derivative; quinolone; sulfonamide; tetracycline; virulence factor; antiinfective agent; beta lactamase; colistin; Escherichia coli protein; agar dilution; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic sensitivity; Artemia franciscana; Article; autopsy; bacterial gene; bacterial growth; bacterium identification; Brazil; broth dilution; controlled study; disk diffusion; DNA extraction; double disc synergy test; Enterobacter cloacae; Escherichia coli; female; genomics; geographic distribution; histopathology; infectious agent; mass spectrometry; minimum inhibitory concentration; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; phylogeny; pneumonia; polymerase chain reaction; Pontoporia blainville; sequence analysis; sequence homology; animal; ecosystem; Enterobacter; epidemiology; genetics; microbial sensitivity test; multidrug resistance; toothed whale; veterinary medicine | Enterobacterales; MCR; multidrug-resistant; One Health; polymyxin; Wildlife |
| Mitigating Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Gorilla Conservation: Lessons From Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda | The COVID-19 pandemic, affecting all countries, with millions of cases and deaths, and economic disruptions due to lockdowns, also threatens the health and conservation of endangered mountain gorillas. For example, increased poaching due to absence of tourism income, led to the killing on 1st June 2020 of a gorilla by a hungry community member hunting duiker and bush pigs. Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), a grassroots NGO and non-profit founded in 2003 promotes biodiversity conservation by enabling people to co-exist with wildlife through integrated programs that improve animal health, community health, and livelihoods in and around Africa’s protected areas and wildlife rich habitats. Through these programs, we have helped to mitigate these impacts. CTPH worked with Uganda Wildlife Authority and other NGOs to improve great ape viewing guidelines and prevent transmission of COVID-19 between people and gorillas. Park staff, Gorilla Guardians herding gorillas from community land to the park and Village Health and Conservation Teams were trained to put on protective face masks, enforce hand hygiene and a 10-meter great ape viewing distance. To reduce the communities’ need to poach, CTPH found a UK-based distributor, for its Gorilla Conservation Coffee social enterprise enabling coffee farmers to earn revenue in the absence of tourism and provided fast growing seedlings to reduce hunger in vulnerable community members. Lessons learned show the need to support non-tourism dependent community livelihoods, and more responsible tourism to the great apes, which CTPH is advocating to governments, donors and tour companies through an Africa CSO Biodiversity Alliance policy brief. © Copyright © 2021 Kalema-Zikusoka, Rubanga, Ngabirano and Zikusoka. | Animals; Communicable Disease Control; COVID-19; Forests; Gorilla gorilla; Hominidae; Humans; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2; Swine; Uganda; animal; communicable disease control; forest; Gorilla gorilla; hominid; human; pandemic; pig; Uganda | conservation; COVID-19; gorillas; livelihoods; one health |
| Process evaluation of integrated West Nile virus surveillance in northern Italy: an example of a One Health approach in public health policy | West Nile virus (WNV) is endemic in the Po valley area in northern Italy. Regional health authorities have implemented integrated WNV surveillance following a One Health approach, based on collaboration between human, animal and environmental health institutions. We evaluated this integrated WNV surveillance system in Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Piedmont regions by means of a process evaluation. We examined the system’s implementation fidelity, dose delivered and received, reach, and we identified strengths and weaknesses in the system. Qualitative and semi-quantitative data were obtained from three regional focus groups. Data were discussed in a follow up focus group, where participants suggested recommendations for improving the surveillance system. Inter-institutional and interdisciplinary integration and the creation of a ‘community of practice’ were identified as key elements for effective surveillance. We identified differences in the degree of interdisciplinary integration in the three regions, likely due to different epidemiological situations and years of experience in surveillance implementation. Greater collaboration and sharing of information, public engagement and economic assessments of the integrated surveillance approach would facilitate its social recognition and guarantee its sustainability through dedicated funding. We demonstrate that a transdisciplinary research approach based on process evaluation has value for designing and fine-tuning integrated health surveillance systems. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd | Animals; Health Policy; Humans; Italy; One Health; Population Surveillance; Program Evaluation; West Nile Fever; West Nile virus; Italy; Lombardy; Piedmont [Italy]; Po Valley; Emilia; West Nile virus; epidemiology; health monitoring; health policy; public health; qualitative analysis; sustainability; West Nile virus; adult; article; follow up; funding; health survey; human; interdisciplinary research; Italy; nonhuman; One Health; public health; West Nile virus; animal; health care policy; Italy; program evaluation; West Nile fever | One Health; Process evaluation; Surveillance; Surveillance system evaluation; West Nile Virus |
| The Origins and Lineage of One Health, Part II | [No abstract available] | Animals; One Health; animal health; animal welfare; Article; biodiversity; clinical outcome; disease control; disease surveillance; disease transmission; ecology; ecosystem; ecosystem health; environmental health; geographic distribution; guinea pig; health care organization; health disparity; human; malaria control; medical research; nonhuman; One Health; population health; public health; social determinants of health; animal |
| Cross-sectional analysis of the microbiota of human gut and its direct environment in a household cohort with high background of antibiotic use | Comprehensive insight into the microbiota of the gut of humans and animals, as well as their living environment, in communities with a high background of antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance genes is scarce. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to describe the (dis)similarities in the microbiota of feces from humans (n = 107), domestic animals (n = 36), water (n = 89), and processed food (n = 74) in a cohort with individual history of antibiotic use in northern Vietnam. A significantly lower microbial diversity was observed among individuals who used antibiotics in the past 4 months (n = 44) compared to those who did not (n = 63). Fecal microbiota of humans was more diverse than nonhuman samples and shared a small part of its amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) with feces from animals (7.4% (3.2–9.9)), water (2.2% (1.2–2.8)), and food (3.1% (1.5–3.1)). Sharing of ASVs between humans and companion animals was not associated with the household. However, we did observe a correlation between an Enterobacteriaceae ASV and the presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase CTX-M-group-2 encoding genes in feces from humans and animals (p = 1.6 × 10−3 and p = 2.6 × 10−2, respectively), hinting toward an exchange of antimicrobial-resistant strains between reservoirs. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | Antibiotic resistance; Environmental microbiota; Metagenomics; Microbiota; One health; Vietnam |
| The requirement of genetic diagnostic technologies for environmental surveillance of antimicrobial resistance | Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is threatening modern medicine. While the primary cost of AMR is paid in the healthcare domain, the agricultural and environmental domains are also res-ervoirs of resistant microorganisms and hence perpetual sources of AMR infections in humans. Con-sequently, the World Health Organisation and other international agencies are calling for surveillance of AMR in all three domains to guide intervention and risk reduction strategies. Technologies for detecting AMR that have been developed for healthcare settings are not immediately transfera-ble to environmental and agricultural settings, and limited dialogue between the domains has ham-pered opportunities for cross‐fertilisation to develop modified or new technologies. In this feature, we discuss the limitations of currently available AMR sensing technologies used in the clinic for sensing in other environments, and what is required to overcome these limitations. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Environmental Monitoring; Humans; World Health Organization; Agriculture; Environmental technology; Health care; Health risks; International cooperation; Microorganisms; antiinfective agent; Antimicrobial resistances; ARG; Biosensing; Diagnostic; Diagnostic technologies; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental surveillance; Genetic diagnostics; One health; antibiotic resistance; environmental monitoring; human; World Health Organization; Diagnosis | AMR; Antimicrobial resistance; ARG; Biosensing; Diagnostics; Environmental monitoring; One health |
| Application across species of a one health approach to liquid sample handling for respiratory based -omics analysis | Airway inflammation is highly prevalent in horses, with the majority of non-infectious cases being defined as equine asthma. Currently, cytological analysis of airway derived samples is the principal method of assessing lower airway inflammation. Samples can be obtained by tracheal wash (TW) or by lavage of the lower respiratory tract (bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid; BALF). Although BALF cytology carries significant diagnostic advantages over TW cytology for the diagnosis of equine asthma, sample acquisition is invasive, making it prohibitive for routine and sequential screening of airway health. However, recent technological advances in sample collection and processing have made it possible to determine whether a wider range of analyses might be applied to TW samples. Considering that TW samples are relatively simple to collect, minimally invasive and readily available in the horse, it was considered appropriate to investigate whether, equine tracheal secretions represent a rich source of cells and both transcriptomic and proteomic data. Similar approaches have already been applied to a comparable sample set in humans; namely, induced sputum. Sputum represents a readily available source of airway biofluids enriched in proteins, changes in the expression of which may reveal novel mechanisms in the pathogenesis of respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The aim of this study was to establish a robust protocol to isolate macrophages, protein and RNA for molecular characterization of TW samples and demonstrate the applicability of sample handling to rodent and human pediatric bronchoalveolar lavage fluid isolates. TW samples provided a good quality and yield of both RNA and protein for downstream transcriptomic/proteomic analyses. The sample handling methodologies were successfully applicable to BALF for rodent and human research. TW samples represent a rich source of airway cells, and molecular analysis to facilitate and study airway inflammation, based on both transcriptomic and proteomic analysis. This study provides a necessary methodological platform for future transcriptomic and/or proteomic studies on equine lower respiratory tract secretions and BALF samples from humans and mice. © 2021, The Author(s). | Allergy and Immunology; Animals; Asthma; Bronchoalveolar Lavage; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Chromatography, Liquid; Computational Biology; Female; Genomics; Horse Diseases; Horses; Inflammation; Lung; Macrophages; Male; Mass Spectrometry; Metabolomics; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; One Health; Proteomics; Respiration; Species Specificity; Specimen Handling; Trachea; animal; asthma; Bagg albino mouse; biology; breathing; bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; devices; female; genomics; horse; horse disease; immunology; inflammation; liquid chromatography; lung; lung lavage; macrophage; male; mass spectrometry; metabolism; metabolomics; mouse; One Health; physiology; procedures; proteomics; species difference; specimen handling; trachea; veterinary medicine |
| Risk Evaluation of Pathogenic Intestinal Protozoa Infection Among Laboratory Macaques, Animal Facility Workers, and Nearby Villagers From One Health Perspective | Background: Previous epidemiological studies have confirmed non-human primates (NHPs) as reservoirs for Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi. It highlights the possibility of interspecies transmission between humans and macaques in laboratory animal facilities. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of pathogenic intestinal protozoan infections in macaques and humans and to determine the risk of cross-species transmission from One Health view. Materials and Methods: A total of 360 fecal samples, including 310 from the four Macaca mulatta groups, 25 from the facility workers in a laboratory animal facility, and 25 from the villagers nearby in Yongfu country, southeast China, were collected. Nested PCR assays were done for detecting protozoan pathogens from all the specimens. Furthermore, potential risk factors (gender, age, and direct contact) on the occurrence of intestinal protozoa infection among different sub-groups were evaluated. A phylogenetic and haplotype network analysis was conducted to examine the genetic structure and shared patterns of E. bieneusi and Cyclospora cayetanensis. Results: The pathogenic intestinal protozoa were detected in both human and macaque fecal samples. A total of 134 (37.2%) samples were tested positive, which included 113 (36.4%) macaques, 14 (56.0%) facility workers, and 7 (28.0%) villagers, respectively. There was no significant difference in four intestinal protozoa infections between facility workers and villagers (χ2 = 2.4, P > 0.05). However, the positive rate of pathogenic intestinal protozoa in the facility workers, who had direct contact with macaques, was significantly higher [odds ratio (OR) = 0.31, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.09–1.00, P < 0.05).Thirty-three ITS genotypes of E. bieneusi were identified, including five known genotypes (PigEBITS7, Peru8, Henan V, D, and CM1) and six novel genotypes (MEB1–6). Seven haplotypes were identified in the network analysis from C. cayetanensis-positive samples. Meanwhile, a phylogenetic and haplotype analysis confirmed the presence of zoonotic subtypes in NHPs and humans. Conclusion: The data collected from this study confirmed a high prevalence of intestinal protozoan infection in humans and macaques. These results warrant workers of such facilities and residents to limit contact with infected animals in order to minimize related health risks. The need for comprehensive strategies to mitigate the risk of zoonotic transmission, especially from a One Health perspective, is recommended. © Copyright © 2021 Li, Ren, Chen, Huang, Feng and Hu. | adolescent; adult; age distribution; animal experiment; Article; bootstrapping; coinfection; contact examination; controlled study; Cryptosporidium; Cryptosporidium hominis; Cryptosporidium parvum; Cyclospora cayetanensis; cyclosporiasis; Enterocytozoon bieneusi; Enterocytozoon infection; feces analysis; gene cluster; gene structure; genetic strain; genotype; Giardia intestinalis; giardiasis; haplotype; human; infection rate; infection risk; intestine infection; male; nested polymerase chain reaction; network analysis; nonhuman; One Health; parasite identification; phylogenetic tree; phylogeny; positivity rate; prevalence; protozoal infection; rhesus monkey; risk assessment; rural population; zoonotic transmission | epidemiology; genotype; haplotype; intestinal protozoan; Macaca mulatta; one health |
| Urban Aerobiomes are Influenced by Season, Vegetation, and Individual Site Characteristics | Exposure to biodiverse environments such as forests can benefit human well-being, and evidence suggests exposure to high microbial diversity may improve mental and immune health. However, the factors that drive microbial community assembly are poorly understood, as is the relationship between exposure to these communities and human health. We characterized airborne bacterial communities in two disparate types of urban greenspace (forest and grass) in late-spring 2017 at sites previously sampled in late-summer 2015 in Eugene-Springfield, Oregon, using high-throughput metabarcode sequencing. While all sites shared a core aerobiome in late-spring consisting of plant- and soil-associated genera, forests had significantly higher diversity than grass sites (F = 12, P = 0.004). Vegetation type explained 14% of the difference between forest and grass aerobiomes, yet individual site location explained 41% of the variation. These results were similar to but amplified over those from late summer, suggesting that both aerobiome diversity and vegetation-driven effects are higher when deciduous foliage is fresher and more active, temperatures cooler, and humidity higher. Continued exploration and hypothesis-driven research will enable development of mechanistic theory describing key drivers of urban aerobiome assembly and its relationship to human health, which, in turn, will help urban designers and planners create evidence-based salutogenic cities for future generations. © 2020, EcoHealth Alliance. | Biodiversity; Forests; Humans; Microbiota; Seasons; Soil; article; city; foliage; forest; grass; human; human experiment; humidity; microbial community; microbiome; nonhuman; Oregon; soil; spring; summer; vegetation; biodiversity; forest; microflora; season | 16S; Biodiverse; Microbiome; One health; Salutogenic; Urban design |
| A user-friendly decision support tool to assist one-health risk assessors | One-Health risk assessments are integral to developing efficient responses to disease threats, including global pandemics. However, short timeframes, inadequate disease-specific information and an insufficient skill-base make it hard for inexperienced assessors to distinguish between a large portfolio of approaches. The wrong choice can detract from the disease response. Here, we present an interactive decision support tool to help with this choice. A workshop with participants from diverse professional backgrounds provided six themes that should be considered when deciding on the best approach. Questions based on these themes were then developed to populate a decision tree which guides users to their most appropriate approach. One-Health risk assessment tools and literature were used as examples of the different approaches. The tool provides links to these examples and short descriptions of the approaches. Answers are easily changed, facilitating exploration though different approaches. The simple data structure of the tool means it is easy to update with more resources and approaches. It provides a valuable source of guidance and information for less experienced risk assessors. © 2021 | Article; decision support system; decision tree; nonhuman; one health risk assessor; outcome assessment; qualitative research; questionnaire; risk assessment | Decision tree; Online; Resources; User interface; Workshop; Zoonoses |
| Prioritization of zoonotic diseases of public health significance in Nigeria using the one-health approach | Nigeria, with a population of over 190 million people, is rated among the 10 countries with the highest burden of infectious and zoonotic diseases globally. In Nigeria, there exist a sub-optimal surveillance system to monitor and track priority zoonoses. We therefore conducted a prioritization of zoonotic diseases for the first time in Nigeria to guide prevention and control efforts. Towards this, a two-day in-country consultative meeting involving experts from the human, animal, and environmental health backgrounds prioritized zoonotic diseases using a modified semi-quantitative One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization tool in July 2017. Overall, 36 of 52 previously selected zoonoses were identified for prioritization. Five selection criteria were used to arrive at the relative importance of prioritized diseases based on their weighted score. Overall, this zoonotic disease prioritization process marks the first major step of bringing together experts from the human-animal-environment health spectrum in Nigeria. Importantly, the country ranked rabies, avian influenza, Ebola Virus Disease, swine influenza and anthrax as the first five priority zoonoses in Nigeria. Finally, this One Health approach to prioritizing important zoonoses is a step that will help to guide future tracking and monitoring of diseases of grave public health importance in Nigeria. © 2021 | anthrax; Article; avian influenza; disease burden; disease classification; disease surveillance; Ebola hemorrhagic fever; geographic distribution; health care organization; health care planning; health program; human; infection control; infection prevention; Nigeria; nonhuman; One Health; public health; rabies; swine influenza; zoonosis | Nigeria; One Health; Prioritization; Public Health; Zoonotic diseases |
| Needs for a Curricular Change in Primary and Secondary Education From the One Health Perspective: A Pilot Study on Pneumonia in Schools | This is the first pilot study on alternative conceptions and obstacles pertaining to pneumonia in adolescents of different school vulnerability indexes. Countries with low socioeconomic levels are disproportionately affected, with Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) being the second-most affected area in the world, after sub-Saharan Africa. In spite of this fact, pneumonia is not included as an important component within the contents of the microbiology curriculum unit in the natural science school program. Therefore, we wanted to study how students knew about this topic by putting One Health into action by building and validating qualitative and quantitative questionnaires, put together by different experts in pedagogy, didactics, microbiology, and veterinary to find out what students knew about pneumonia and their misconceptions about it. A total of 148 students (in 8th and 9th grade) participated in this survey. The results reveal that no statistically significant differences between the different scholar grades (p = 0.3360 Pearson chi∧2) or genders (p = 0.8000 Fisher’s exact test) presented higher or lower School Vulnerability Index (SVI). Regardless of the social stratum or the level of vulnerability of the students, they have heard about this disease primarily through their family/relatives, maintaining a superficial notion of the disease, learning wrong ideas about microorganisms and treatments that can contribute to the risk to public health. Copyright © 2021 Marchant, Sánchez, Duprat, Mena, Sjöberg-Herrera, Cabal and Figueroa. | Adolescent; COVID-19; Female; Humans; Male; One Health; Pilot Projects; Schools; Students; adolescent; female; human; male; One Health; pilot study; school; student | alternative conceptions; One Health education; pneumonia; public health; school vulnerability index |
| Campylobacter jejuni in different canine populations: Characteristics and zoonotic potential | With most epidemiological studies focused on poultry, dogs are often overlooked as a reservoir of Campylobacter, even though these animals maintain close daily contact with humans. The present study aimed to obtain a first insight into the presence and characteristics of Campylobacter spp. in different canine populations in Portugal, and to evaluate its zoonotic potential through genomic analysis. From a total of 125 rectal swabs collected from companion (n = 71) and hunting dogs (n = 54) living in two different settings, rural (n = 75) and urban (n = 50), 32 Campylobacter spp. isolates were obtained. Four different Campylobacter species were identified by Multiplex PCR and MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry, of which Campylobacter jejuni (n = 14, 44%) was overall the most frequently found species. Relevant resistance phenotypes were detected in C. jejuni, with 93% of the isolates being resistant to ciprofloxacin, 64% to tetracycline, and 57% to ampicillin, and three isolates being multi‐drug‐resistant. Comparison of the phenotypic and genotypic traits with human isolates from Portuguese patients revealed great similarity between both groups. Particularly relevant, the wgMLST analysis allowed the identification of isolates from human and dogs without any apparent epidemiological relationship, sharing high genetic proximity. Notwithstanding the limited sample size, considering the high genomic diversity of C. jejuni, the genetic overlap between human and dog strains observed in this study confirmed that the occurrence of this species in dogs is of public health concern, reinforcing the call for a One Health approach. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | Campylobacter spp; Dogs; One Health; Whole genome sequencing |
| Animals, vaccines, and COVID-19 | Animals, especially mammals, have played a critical role in the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 virus originated in animals, and the virus can jump back and forth between humans and animals. Moreover, animals have been central to the development of the various vaccines against the virus now employed around the world, continuing a long history. The interrelationships between animals and humans in both disease transmission and its prevention call for an interdisciplinary approach to medicine. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd | Animals; COVID-19; COVID-19 Vaccines; Disease Susceptibility; Humans; Interdisciplinary Communication; Interdisciplinary Research; SARS-CoV-2; animal; disease predisposition; human; interdisciplinary communication; interdisciplinary research; isolation and purification; prevention and control | Animals in science; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; One Health; Vaccines |
| One planet, one people, one health, please | [No abstract available] | Humans; One Health; Planets; Article; astronomy; biodiversity; climate change; coronavirus disease 2019; demography; economic aspect; environmental protection; global health; health care policy; human; intergovernmental organization; international organization; intersectoral collaboration; legal aspect; morality; neighborhood; One Health; pandemic; political system; procrastination; public health service; racial disparity; religion; sex ratio; skin color; socioeconomics; survival factor; vulnerable population; war; astronomy |
| An insight into the implementation of the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance in the WHO African region: A roadmap for action | Introduction: The Global Action Plan (GAP) on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) delivers a ‘One Health’ strategy for the development of the national action plan. It encourages the optimal use of antimicrobials and strengthens the evidence base through surveillance and research. Methods: This study evaluated the current status of implementation of the GAP on AMR in World Health Organization (WHO) African countries via a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of routinely collected data on AMR. A SWOT analysis was used to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in the GAP implementation. A roadmap for action was proposed. Results: The overall mean GAP performance score across all the countries that were assessed was 32% ± SD12 (95% CI 27–36%). The mean thematic scores were 59% ± 12 (53–65%) for multi-sector and One Health collaboration; 50% ± 22 (42–58%) for developing national AMR action plans; 38% ± 12 (33–42%) for awareness and training; 18% ± 13 (13–23%) for surveillance; 33% ± 13 (29–38%) for infection prevention and control; and 28% ± 23 (20–37%) for optimal use of antimicrobial medicines in human, animal and plant health. The difference in GAP performance scores between African sub-regions and between income categories was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). While seven countries exhibited strengths in two themes, 25 countries exhibited weaknesses across all themes. Six threats and six opportunities were identified to inform a practical roadmap for AMR action. Conclusion: The findings from this study indicate that the overall GAP implementation on AMR in the WHO African region is inadequate. Some thematic GAP scores appeared to be relatively good, but on closer inspection, individual indicators revealed a lack of progress and implementation, requiring action. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd | Africa; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antimicrobial Stewardship; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Health Policy; Humans; One Health; Public Health; Retrospective Studies; World Health Organization; antiinfective agent; antiinfective agent; Africa; antibiotic resistance; Article; awareness; controlled study; cross-sectional study; disease surveillance; drug use; health care planning; human; income group; infection control; infection prevention; medical education; nonhuman; organization; retrospective study; thematic analysis; World Health Organization; antimicrobial stewardship; health care policy; multidrug resistance; One Health; physiology; procedures; public health; World Health Organization | Antimicrobial resistance; Global action plan; Infectious diseases; One Health; Public health |
| Synzootics | Ecologists increasingly recognise coinfection as an important component of emergent epidemiological patterns, connecting aspects of ecoimmunology, behaviour, ecosystem function and even extinction risk. Building on syndemic theory in medical anthropology, we propose the term ‘synzootics’ to describe co-occurring enzootic or epizootic processes that produce worse health outcomes in wild animals. Using framing from syndemic theory, we describe how the synzootic concept offers new insights into the ecology and evolution of infectious diseases. We then recommend a set of empirical criteria and lines of evidence that can be used to identify synzootics in nature. We conclude by exploring how synzootics could indirectly drive the emergence of novel pathogens in human populations. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society. | Animals; Coinfection; Communicable Diseases; Ecology; Ecosystem; empirical analysis; infectious disease; pathogen; theoretical study; wild population; animal; coinfection; communicable disease; ecology; ecosystem | coinfection; conservation medicine; ecoimmunology; host–parasite interactions; One Health; syndemics |
| Industrial dog food is a vehicle of multidrug-resistant enterococci carrying virulence genes often linked to human infections | The increase in the number of pets in recent years has been followed by an exponential growth of the industrial pet food sector, which has been accompanied by new food safety risks, namely antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate whether dog food commercially available in Portugal is a reservoir of clinically-relevant antibiotic resistant Enterococcus. Fifty-five samples (25 brands; 22 wet, 14 raw frozen, 8 dry, 7 treats and 4 semi-wet) were collected on 9 commercial surfaces in the Porto region (September 2019 to January 2020). Most samples were obtained from brands that are commercialized worldwide (n = 21/25). Sample (25 g) processing included pre-enrichment and enrichment steps in culture media without/with 3 antibiotics, and then plating into selective media without/with the same antibiotics. Susceptibility was studied for 13 antibiotics (disk diffusion; Etest; microdilution) according to EUCAST/CLSI. Clinically-relevant species (E. faecium and E. faecalis), antibiotic resistance (vanA, vanB, optrA, poxtA) and virulence (e.g. ptsD, esp, sgrA) genes were identified by PCR. Other species of Enterococcus were identified by MALDI-TOF MS. Clonality was established by MLST in selected isolates. Enterococcus (n = 184; 7 species; >85% E. faecium and E. faecalis) were detected in 30 samples (54%) of different types (14 raw, 16 heat treated-7 dry, 6 wet, 3 treats). E. faecium and E. faecalis were more frequent in dry and wet samples, respectively. More than 40% of enterococci recovered were resistant to erythromycin, tetracycline, quinupristin-dalfopristin, streptomycin, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, ampicillin or ciprofloxacin, and to a lesser extent to linezolid (23%; optrA, poxtA) or vancomycin and teicoplanin (2% each; vanA). Multidrug-resistant isolates (31%), including to vancomycin and linezolid, were obtained mostly from raw foods, although also detected in wet samples or treats, and mainly from culture media supplemented with antibiotics. Samples subjected to thermal treatment mostly carried non-MDR isolates. The variety of clones observed included strains previously identified in hospitalized patients (E. faecium ST17/ST80; E. faecalis ST40), farm animals, pets and environmental strains. This study shows that dog food from international brands is a vehicle of clinically-relevant enterococci carrying resistance to last resort antibiotics and relevant virulence genes, thus positioning pet food as an important source of antibiotic resistance spread within the One Health context. The high incidence of Enterococcus in a variety of dog food samples indicates the need to review selection of raw materials, manufacturing and hygiene practices in an emerging food sector growing worldwide. © 2021 Elsevier B.V. | Animal Feed; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Dogs; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Enterococcus; Enterococcus faecalis; Enterococcus faecium; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Multilocus Sequence Typing; Virulence; amp 2; ampicillin; bacterial protein; chloramphenicol; cip 5; ciprofloxacin; cn 30; dalfopristin plus quinupristin; e 15; erythromycin; f 100; gentamicin; linezolid; lzd 10; membrane protein; nitrofurantoin; qd 15; s 300; streptomycin; tec 30; teicoplanin; tet 30; tetracycline; tgc 15; tigecycline; va 5; vancomycin; antiinfective agent; adult; ampicillin resistance; animal food; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic sensitivity; Article; bacterial colonization; bacterial gene; bacterial strain; bacterial transmission; bacterial virulence; bacterium culture; bacterium identification; bacterium isolate; beef; broth dilution; carbohydrate transport; chicken meat; chloramphenicol resistance; ciprofloxacin resistance; clonal variation; controlled study; deer; disease reservoir; disk diffusion; dog; duck; enrichment culture; Enterococcus avium; Enterococcus casseliflavus; Enterococcus durans; Enterococcus faecalis; Enterococcus faecium; Enterococcus gallinarum; Enterococcus hirae; epsilometer test; erythromycin resistance; farm animal; frozen food; gene identification; genetic variability; genotype; gentamicin resistance; goose; heat treatment; hospital patient; lamb meat; matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry; minimum inhibitory concentration; multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae; nonhuman; optrA gene; orf1481 gene; pet animal; polymerase chain reaction; poultry meat; poxtA gene; prevalence; ptsD gene; raw food; salmonine; sgrA gene; species distribution; species diversity; streptomycin resistance; tetracycline resistance; turkey meat; vanA gene; vancomycin resistance; animal; animal food; dog; Enterococcus; Enterococcus faecium; genetics; Gram positive infection; human; microbial sensitivity test; multilocus sequence typing; veterinary medicine; virulence | Enterococcus; One health; optrA; Pet food; poxtA; vanA |
| Foodborne illness outbreak investigation for one health postsecondary education | One Health concepts were incorporated in a foodborne disease outbreak investigation with game features of data presented as visual and manipulative clues. Postsecondary pre-veterinary medicine and animal biosciences students and food science students (n=319) enrolled in an introductory animal and food sciences course over a 3-year period received a brief introduction to foodborne illness, an outbreak scenario, and investigative tasks to complete individually or in groups. Tasks addressed epidemiology, laboratory, environment, traceback, recall, and prevention concepts. Gamification of the exercise involved generation of a numerical code to unlock a combination lock as an indication of successful organization, compilation, and interpretation of data. Students presented investigation findings and responses to critical thought questions on their roles. Student surveys on engagement and self-perceived change in conceptual understanding indicated that nearly all expressed increased understanding of outbreak investigations, safe food production, and environmental water as a transmission vehicle. Volunteered learned concepts indicated enhanced appreciation for the complexity of food safety and interdisciplinary connections. Students enjoyed the exercise (92%) and cited the clues and group interaction among the most enjoyable features. Objective assessment of student conceptual learning with the subset of students who conducted the investigation individually (n=58) demonstrated significant increase in correct test responses (49% pretest; 76% posttest) after completion of the investigation for all questions combined and across all learning objectives. These data demonstrate the value of a foodborne disease investigation with escape room gamification features for engaging students in One Health concepts and exercising problem-solving, critical thinking, and skills for independent and collaborative work. © 2021 American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved. | Education; Environment; Epidemiology; Escape room; Food safety; Investigation; Microbiology; One health; Problem-based learning; Public health |
| Uganda mountain community health system—perspectives and capacities towards emerging infectious disease surveillance | In mountain communities like Sebei, Uganda, which are highly vulnerable to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, community-based surveillance plays an important role in the monitoring of public health hazards. In this survey, we explored capacities of village health teams (VHTs) in Sebei communities of Mount Elgon in undertaking surveillance tasks for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in the context of a changing climate. We used participatory epidemiology techniques to elucidate VHTs’ perceptions on climate change and public health and assessed their capacities to conduct surveillance for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Overall, VHTs perceived climate change to be occurring with wider impacts on public health. However, they had inadequate capacities in collecting surveillance data. The VHTs lacked transport to navigate through their communities and had insufficient capacities in using mobile phones for sending alerts. They did not engage in reporting other hazards related to the environment, wildlife, and domestic livestock that would accelerate infectious disease outbreaks. Records were not maintained for disease surveillance activities and the abilities of VHTs to analyze data were also limited. However, VHTs had access to platforms that could enable them to disseminate public health information. The VHTs thus need to be retooled to conduct their work effectively and efficiently through equipping them with adequate logistics and knowledge on collecting, storing, analyzing, and relaying data, which will improve infectious disease response and mitigation efforts. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | Cell Phone; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; Community Health Planning; Community Health Workers; Humans; Uganda; Uganda; rain; climate change; epidemiology; infectious disease; perception; public health; anthrax; Article; cholera; climate change; community care; continuing education; data analysis; disease surveillance; domestic animal; early diagnosis; early intervention; environmental factor; environmental protection; environmental temperature; epidemic; food security; foot and mouth disease; health care delivery; health care personnel; health care system; health hazard; health survey; human; infection; infection control; information dissemination; information processing; information storage; interpersonal communication; livestock; malaria; Marburg hemorrhagic fever; measles; participatory research; public health; public health service; public reporting (health care); Uganda; wildlife; communicable disease; health auxiliary; health care planning; mobile phone; Uganda | Alerts; Climate change; Community-based surveillance; Elgon; Integrated disease surveillance and reporting; One health; Village health teams |
| From the Council table Position statements; [Nouvelles du Conseil Énoncés de position] | [No abstract available] | pentobarbital; analgesia; anesthesia; animal welfare; animal well-being; anxiety; Article; biodiversity; decision making; distress syndrome; dog; fear; health care personnel; health equity; health workforce; immunosuppressive treatment; medical research; mental health; nonhuman; One Health; pain; Pinnipedia; sheep; telemedicine; total quality management; training; veterinary medicine |
| The Power of Music to Prevent and Control Emerging Infectious Diseases | Music is a powerful approach to engage communities and disseminate information. Specifically, health campaigns employing music have been used to promote behaviors that can prevent emerging infectious diseases (EIDs). For example, hip hop artists supported campaigns to prevent acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in the 70s in the United States, while Brazilian funk promoted vaccination to mitigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, we broadcast musical messages in local languages to increase community awareness and support prevention measures in Guinea and Liberia in response to the recent Ebola outbreak in 2021. Given the potential of music to promote both individual and population-level behavioral changes to prevent transmission, there is a need to consolidate information on music-based health interventions, and on how we can measure their effectiveness. In this perspective, we provide examples of relevant initiatives, discussing challenges and solutions associated with implementing interventions based on our experience with the 2021 Ebola outbreak. We recommend four steps for a successful music-based health intervention including (1) establishing a task force, (2) compose a “catchy” song including critical preventive measures, (3) deliver the song to the target audience, and (4) evaluate the campaign effectiveness. We argue that close interactions between scientists and musicians can produce rapid musical content for disease prevention. We also identify and discuss several methodological frameworks for testing the effectiveness of such interventions. We conclude that support from public health authorities, government media departments, and international agencies, is necessary to deliver wide outreach and long-term sustainability of musical messaging toward effective EID prevention. Copyright © 2021 Benavides, Caparrós, da Silva, Lembo, Tem Dia, Hampson and Dos Santos. | Article; awareness; behavior change; clinical effectiveness; communicable disease; comparative effectiveness; conceptual framework; coronavirus disease 2019; Ebola hemorrhagic fever; government; Guinea; health care delivery; health promotion; human; Human immunodeficiency virus; infection control; infection prevention; international cooperation; Liberia; music; musician; pandemic; program sustainability; prophylaxis; public health; solidarity | art; COVID-19; Ebola; health intervention; HIV; one health; pandemic; prevention |
| Surveillance for One Health and high consequence veterinary pathogens (Brucellosis, Coxiellosis and Foot and Mouth Disease) in Southeast Asia: Lao PDR and Cambodia in focus and the importance of international partnerships | Animal disease surveillance in limited-resource countries is challenging but critical in providing epidemiological information to inform disease prevention and control programmes. Despite multiple international agencies and partnerships supporting Lao PDR and Cambodia’s animal disease surveillance activities over many years, cost-effectiveness and sustainability remain significant constraints. Here we describe the development and implementation of national abattoir-based surveillance networks in Laos and central Cambodia consisting of an information exchange platform and sample collection and submission systems. The networks enhanced the national surveillance capacity and provided snapshot information of seroprevalence for selected One Health and high consequence veterinary pathogens, including Q fever, brucellosis, and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). Despite abattoir survey data revealing that the seroprevalence of Q fever and brucellosis was generally low, the true impact on public health for these diseases remains unclear due to low levels of awareness and diagnostic capacity. FMD antibodies derived from natural infection rather than vaccination were noted in greater than 40% of the animal sampled in both countries, which suggests significant underreporting of outbreak events. Such networks will continue to be refined to improve their cost-effectiveness and sustainability, including the introduction of a simple online application for reporting animal disease outbreaks as well as expanding to other relevant One Health pathogens and species. © Journal Compilation | animal disease; Article; brucellosis; Cambodia; cost effectiveness analysis; disease surveillance; foot and mouth disease; human; nonhuman; One Health; public health problem; Q fever; seroprevalence; vaccination |
| Molecular detection and genetic diversity of Rickettsia spp. in pet dogs and their infesting ticks in Harbin, northeastern China | Background: Pet dogs are important companion animals that share the environment within households, and play an important role in local community life. In addition, pet dogs also are reservoirs of zoonotic agents, including Rickettsia spp., thus increasing the risk of rickettsial infections in humans. It’s meaningful to investigate the epidemiology of rickettsial agents in pet dogs, and make contribute to the surveillance of rickettsioses in human in China. Results: In this study, a total of 496 pet dogs’ blood samples and 343 ticks infested in pet dogs were collected, and the presence and prevalence of Rickettsia were determined by amplifying the partial gltA and 17-kDa genes, with an overall positive rate of 8.1 % in blood samples and 14.0 % in tick samples. In addition, the rrs, gltA, groEL, and ompA genes of rickettsial were also recovered to determine the species of Rickettsia detected furtherly. Sequencing blast and phylogenetic analyses revealed the presence of three human pathogenic Rickettsia species (Rickettsia raoultii, Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae and Rickettsia felis) in samples associated with pet dogs. Moreover, all the sequences of Rickettsia that we obtained presented close relationship with others available in GenBank, and Rickettsia raoultii was the most predominant Rickettsia species infected in pet dogs’ blood samples or in tick samples. Conclusions: This study provides the molecular epidemiology data about the Rickettsia spp. infection associated with pet dogs in urban areas of Harbin city. Three rickettisae species pathogenic to humans were identified from pet dogs’ blood and the infested ticks in urban areas of Harbin city. Considering the intimate relationship between human and pets, these results indicate the potential transmission risk of human rickettisal infections from pet dogs through ectoparasites, and also highlighting that more attention should be paid to rickettsial infection in pet dogs and the infested ticks from the “One health” perspective. © 2021, The Author(s). | Animals; China; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Female; Ixodidae; Male; Rickettsia; Rickettsia Infections; Tick Infestations; edetic acid; RNA 16S; 17 kda gene; adult; animal experiment; Article; bacterial gene; bioinformatics; blood sampling; China; DNA extraction; female; gene sequence; genetic variability; glta gene; groel gene; male; molecular diagnosis; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; ompa gene; parasite identification; phylogeny; polymerase chain reaction; prevalence; Rickettsiaceae infection; rrs gene; sequence alignment; sequence analysis; tick borne disease; animal; blood; China; classification; dog; dog disease; genetics; isolation and purification; Ixodidae; microbiology; Rickettsia; Rickettsiaceae infection; tick infestation; veterinary medicine | Molecular epidemiology; Northeastern China; One health; Pet dogs; Rickettsia spp |
| A one health glossary to support communication and information exchange between the human health, animal health and food safety sectors | Collaboration across sectors, disciplines and countries is a key concept to achieve the overarching One Health (OH) objective for better human, animal and environmental health. Differences in terminology and interpretation of terms are still a significant hurdle for cross-sectoral information exchange and collaboration within the area of OH including One Health Surveillance (OHS). The development of the here described glossary is a collaborative effort of three projects funded within the One Health European Joint Programme (OHEJP). We describe the infrastructure of the OHEJP Glossary, as well as the methodology to create such a cross-sectoral web resource in a collaborative manner. The new OHEJP Glossary allows OH actors to identify terms with different or shared interpretation across sectors. Being aware of such differences in terminology will help overcome communication hurdles in the future and consequently support collaboration and a more inclusive development of OHS. The OHEJP Glossary was implemented as a web-based, user-friendly and searchable infrastructure that complies with the Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) data principles. Maintenance, enrichment and quality control of the OHEJP Glossary is supported through a flexible and updatable curation infrastructure. This increases the uptake potential and exploitation of the OHEJP Glossary by other OH initiatives or tools and services. © 2021 The Authors | animal health; article; food safety; health survey; human; nomenclature; One Health; quality control | Definition of terms; Dictionary; FAIR data; Scientific terminology; Surveillance; Virtual research environment |
| Canine Olfactory Detection of SARS-COV2-Infected Patients: A One Health Approach | The aim of the present study is to apply the canine olfactory sensitivity to detect COVID-19-positive axillary sweat samples as a One Health approach in Latin America. One hundred volunteers with COVID-like symptoms were invited to participate, and both axillary sweat samples for dog detection and nasopharynx/oropharynx swabs for qPCR were collected. Two dogs, previously trained, detected 97.4% of the samples positive for COVID-19, including a false-negative qPCR-test, and the positive predictive value was 100% and the negative predictive value was 98.2%. Therefore, we can conclude that canine olfactory sensitivity can detect a person infected with COVID-19 through axillary sweat successfully and could be used as an alternative to screen them without invasive testing. Copyright © 2021 Maia, Alves, Silva, Czyba, Pereira, Soistier, Julien, Grandjean and Soares. | Animals; COVID-19; Dogs; Humans; One Health; RNA, Viral; SARS-CoV-2; Smell; virus RNA; animal; dog; human; odor; One Health | axillar; COVID-19; diagnosis; dog; Latin America; odor; one health |
| First Detection and Genome Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 Lambda (C.37) Variant in Symptomatic Domestic Cats in Lima, Peru | The role of domestic cats in the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 remains poorly characterized, especially in epidemiologic contexts of countries with high viral transmission. Here, we report the first evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant of interest in symptomatic domestic cats whose owners were diagnosed with COVID-19 in Lima, Peru, providing evidence that transmission of this new variant in domestic cats is occurring. More epidemiological studies are required to further characterize the role of domestic animals in the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2. © Copyright © 2021 Schiaffino, Ferradas, Jara, Salvatierra, Dávila-Barclay, Sanchez-Carrion, Ulloa, Mascaro, Pajuelo, Guevara Sarmiento, Fernandez and Zimic. | animal experiment; article; domestic animal; domestic cat; nonhuman; Peru; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; variant of interest | COVID-19; felis catus; one health; SARS-CoV-2; surveillance |
| Zoonotic Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens infection in humans and an integrative approach to the diagnosis | Dirofilariosis by Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens is endemic in dogs from countries of the Mediterranean basin. Both species may infect humans, with most of the infected patients remaining asymptomatic. Based on the recent description of the southernmost hyperendemic European focus of heartworm disease in dogs from the Pelagie archipelagos, we performed a serological and molecular survey in human population of that area. Human blood samples were collected in the islands of Linosa (n=101) and Lampedusa (n=296) and tested by ELISA and molecular test for the detection of D. immitis and D. repens. Samples were also screened for filarioid-associated endosymbionts, Wolbachia sp. The seroprevalence of D. immitis and D. repens was, respectively, 7.9% and 3.96% in Linosa, and 7.77% and 19.93% in Lampedusa. Out of 397 human blood samples tested molecularly, 4 scored positive (1%) for Dirofilaria spp. by qPCR (i.e., three for D. immitis and one for D. repens) and 6 (1.5%) for Wolbachia. Of the qPCR positive for Dirofilaria spp., only D. repens was amplified by cPCR and was positive for Wolbachia. In the phylogenetic analysis, the sequence of Wolbachia detected in D. repens positive samples clustered along with other C supergroup filarioids. Our results overlap with the recent prevalence data collected on dogs from the same area, where D. immitis is prevalent in Linosa and D. repens prevails in Lampedusa. Molecular detection of D. immitis in human blood is quite unusual considering that humans are dead-end hosts for dirofilarial infection and most of the human cases described so far in Europe were ascribed to D. repens. An integrative diagnostic approach using serum analysis and Wolbachia detection is also presented. In endemic areas for canine dirofilarioses humans are exposed to the infection, suggesting the importance of One Health approach in diagnosing, treating and controlling this zoonotic parasitosis. © 2021 | Animals; Dirofilaria immitis; Dirofilaria repens; Dirofilariasis; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Humans; Islands; Italy; Phylogeny; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Zoonoses; Mediterranean Sea; Dirofilaria; Dirofilaria immitis; Dirofilaria repens; environmental samples (Wolbachia); Wolbachia; Wolbachia sp.; canid; disease prevalence; disease vector; parasite; parasitic disease; phylogenetics; serum; animal; Dirofilaria immitis; Dirofilaria repens; dirofilariasis; dog; dog disease; genetics; human; island (geological); Italy; parasitology; phylogeny; seroepidemiology; zoonosis | Canine heartworm disease; Dirofilariasis; Dogs; Humans; One Health; Vector-borne zoonosis |
| One Health: soil health and its link with human health; [Una sola salud: la salud del suelo y su vínculo con la salud humana] | [No abstract available] | Humans; One Health; Soil; Soil Pollutants; Article; health; soil; human; One Health; soil; soil pollutant |
| Multivalent poultry vaccine development using Protein Glycan Coupling Technology | Background: Poultry is the world’s most popular animal-based food and global production has tripled in the past 20 years alone. Low-cost vaccines that can be combined to protect poultry against multiple infections are a current global imperative. Glycoconjugate vaccines, which consist of an immunogenic protein covalently coupled to glycan antigens of the targeted pathogen, have a proven track record in human vaccinology, but have yet to be used for livestock due to prohibitively high manufacturing costs. To overcome this, we use Protein Glycan Coupling Technology (PGCT), which enables the production of glycoconjugates in bacterial cells at considerably reduced costs, to generate a candidate glycan-based live vaccine intended to simultaneously protect against Campylobacter jejuni, avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) and Clostridium perfringens. Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning, whereas colibacillosis and necrotic enteritis are widespread and devastating infectious diseases in poultry. Results: We demonstrate the functional transfer of C. jejuni protein glycosylation (pgl) locus into the genome of APEC χ7122 serotype O78:H9. The integration caused mild attenuation of the χ7122 strain following oral inoculation of chickens without impairing its ability to colonise the respiratory tract. We exploit the χ7122 pgl integrant as bacterial vectors delivering a glycoprotein decorated with the C. jejuni heptasaccharide glycan antigen. To this end we engineered χ7122 pgl to express glycosylated NetB toxoid from C. perfringens and tested its ability to reduce caecal colonisation of chickens by C. jejuni and protect against intra-air sac challenge with the homologous APEC strain. Conclusions: We generated a candidate glycan-based multivalent live vaccine with the potential to induce protection against key avian and zoonotic pathogens (C. jejuni, APEC, C. perfringens). The live vaccine failed to significantly reduce Campylobacter colonisation under the conditions tested but was protective against homologous APEC challenge. Nevertheless, we present a strategy towards the production of low-cost “live-attenuated multivalent vaccine factories” with the ability to express glycoconjugates in poultry. © 2021, The Author(s). | Animals; Campylobacter Infections; Campylobacter jejuni; Chickens; Clostridium Infections; Clostridium perfringens; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli Infections; Poultry Diseases; Vaccine Development; Vaccines, Attenuated; Vaccines, Combined; ampicillin; glycan; glycosylated necrotic enteritis toxin B like (10) vaccine; kanamycin; live vaccine; unclassified drug; live vaccine; vaccine; animal experiment; animal tissue; antibody response; Article; avian pathogenic Escherichia coli; bacterial colonization; bacterial gene; bacterial genome; bacterial strain; Campylobacter enteritis; Campylobacter jejuni; chicken; Clostridium perfringens; controlled study; drug synthesis; gene locus; genetic engineering; indel mutation; nonhuman; pgl gene; protein expression; protein glycan coupling technology; protein glycosylation; RNA sequencing; single nucleotide polymorphism; technology; animal; bird disease; campylobacteriosis; Clostridium infection; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli infection; immunology; procedures | APEC; Campylobacter jejuni; Glycoconjugates; Glycoengineering; Live-attenuated; NetB; One Health; PGCT; Poultry; Vaccine |
| Evaluation of Renal Function Testing in Older Australian Veterans Dispensed Medicines that Require Renal Function Monitoring | Introduction: Renal function testing should be performed prior to initiating medicines that require dose adjustment in renal impairment, with ongoing monitoring in continued use, particularly in older people. There is little evidence regarding the extent to which renal function monitoring is performed in older Australians dispensed medicines requiring renal function monitoring. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the extent of renal function testing in older people dispensed medicines requiring renal function monitoring. Methods: A retrospective analysis of administrative claims data from the Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs was conducted for people aged 65 years or older who were dispensed one or more medicines requiring renal function monitoring, from 1 June 2019 to 30 September 2019, to investigate the proportion of people with a claim for a pathology test that included creatinine levels in the 6–12 months before or after dispensing of a medicine requiring renal function monitoring. Results: There were 100,113 people who were dispensed at least one medicine requiring renal function monitoring during the study period, of whom 15% had a history of renal impairment and 16% had diabetes mellitus. Sixty-one percent had a claim for a test in the prior 6 months; this increased to 80% of participants with a claim for a test in the prior 12 months. The rate of claims for testing was lower in aged care facility residents compared with people living in the community (54% vs 62% in the previous 6 months; p < 0.001), and was higher in people with diabetes (75% vs 58%; p < 0.001), history of renal impairment (91% vs 59%; p < 0.001) or heart failure (77% vs 60%; p < 0.001) compared with those without these conditions. Conclusion: Medicines that require renal function monitoring are commonly used in older Australians, and while the majority have claims for tests that include renal function, some are missing out. © 2021, Crown. | Aged; Australia; Diabetes Mellitus; Humans; Kidney; Retrospective Studies; Veterans; analgesic agent; angiotensin receptor antagonist; anticoagulant agent; antidepressant agent; antidiabetic agent; antigout agent; benzodiazepine derivative; beta adrenergic receptor blocking agent; bisoprolol; carvedilol; creatinine; digoxin; dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase inhibitor; hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor; ivabradine; lercanidipine; metoprolol succinate; nebivolol; neuroleptic agent; nonsteroid antiinflammatory agent; opiate; potassium sparing diuretic agent; pregabalin; sacubitril; valsartan; aged; Article; Australian; clinical evaluation; community care; comparative study; controlled study; diabetes mellitus; drug use; erectile dysfunction; evidence based practice; female; functional status; government; health service; heart failure; histopathology; hospital admission; human; kidney disease; kidney dysfunction; kidney function; kidney function test; major clinical study; male; medical history; One Health; patient monitoring; prevalence; retrospective study; very elderly; veteran; Australia; diabetes mellitus; kidney; physiology; veteran |
| Participatory and transdisciplinary studies of brucella infection in humans and animals in yunnan province, china—lessons learned | Brucellosis is an important zoonosis occurring globally. In addition to the risk for disease in humans, the disease causes production losses, since the disease in livestock is characterized by abortion and other reproductive failures. The disease is a public health concern in China, but no information is available on knowledge, perception and awareness of potential risk groups such as farmers, butchers and animal health workers; yet successful control requires compliance of those affected groups to be effective. Following the principles of the Ecohealth approach, emphasis was given to participation of all relevant stakeholders, use of qualitative and quantitative tools, and cross-sectorial collaboration. Data collection included on-farm questionnaires (N = 192) and collection of bulk milk samples of goat (N = 40), cattle (N = 45) and buffalo (N = 41) from farms, as well as serum samples (N = 228) from humans. Milk samples were tested with an ELISA for presence of antibodies, while a serum agglutination test was used for human samples. Qualitative work included 17 focus group discussion (FGD) with villagers and 47 in-depth interviews (IDI) with village animal health workers, doctors, and butchers, focused on knowledge, perception and awareness on zoonoses including brucellosis. Results from questionnaires indicate that abortions are a common problem; cattle with abortion history are kept for further insemination and the milk still consumed or sold. Antibodies against Brucella were detected in cows’ (5/45) and goats’ (1/40) milk samples, and in human samples (5/126) in Yiliang, while in Mangshi, all buffalo (N = 41) and humans (N = 102) were negative. FGD and IDI results showed an alarmingly low knowledge and awareness on zoonoses; particularly, low awareness about brucellosis was noted, even among the professional groups. Collaboration between village animal health workers and doctors was uncommon. No confirmed brucellosis cases were found in retrospective investigation of hospital and veterinary stations. This study demonstrates the presence of brucellosis in livestock and humans in Yunnan, indicating a non-negligible risk for humans. It is also made apparent that there is a need for increased awareness among both farmers and professionals in order to reduce the risk of zoonotic transmissions. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | Behavior change; Brucellosis; Disease transmission; Ecohealth; One Health; Zoonotic disease |
| Is the education of human and animal healthcare professionals about antimicrobial resistance and stewardship adequate during their pre-service training? | Purpose: This paper explores inclusion of topics on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in pre-service human and animal healthcare professional curricula as mandated in the first strategic objective of National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance. Methods: Online versions of pre-service medical [Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)], dental [Bachelor of dental sciences (BDS)], pharmacy [Bachelor of Pharmacy (B Pharm)], veterinary [Bachelor of veterinary science and animal husbandry (B.V.Sc. & A.H.)] and post graduate medical [Doctor of medicine (MD), Master of surgery (MS) and post graduate (PG) medical diploma courses] curricula and hardcopy of nursing (Bachelor of science (BSc) Nursing-Basic) curricula were assessed. Validated search terms were used for identifying individual learning topics, domains of learning and number of hours of learning related to AMS and AMR. Recent edition of commonly referred medical textbooks were manually checked for inclusion of chapters or separate sections on AMR and AMS. Results: Low coverage and poor depth with no mention of required duration of learning for AMR and AMS was observed across the majority of curricula. MS, BDS, B Pharm and BSc nursing curricula did not include AMR and AMS. Out of twenty-three textbooks assessed, only six textbooks included AMS. Gynecology, Obstetrics, Orthopedic and Surgery textbooks did not include separate section on AMR or AMS. Conclusions: Our study documented inadequate inclusion of AMR and AMS in pre-service medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy and veterinary curricula and post graduate medical curriculum. Standardized education regarding AMR and AMS in multi-professional curricula by educational councils across sectors and updating of medical textbooks of all the subjects by authors/publishers for adequate emphasis on these topics is urgently needed for success of ‘One health’ in combating AMR. © 2021 Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antimicrobial Stewardship; Curriculum; Delivery of Health Care; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Education, Veterinary; Health Personnel; Humans; Veterinarians; antiinfective agent; immunoglobulin enhancer binding protein; minocycline; antiinfective agent; animal husbandry; antibiotic resistance; antimicrobial stewardship; Article; community medicine; curriculum; gynecology; health care; health care personnel; health service; human; leadership; learning; medical education; microbiology; milk production; nonhuman; nursing; obstetrics; orthopedics; pharmacist; pharmacology; pharmacy (discipline); postgraduate student; questionnaire; resident; scientist; surgical training; training; undergraduate education; urinary tract infection; veterinarian; veterinary medicine; animal; antibiotic resistance; curriculum; education; health care delivery; health care personnel | Antimicrobial resistance; Antimicrobial stewardship; Curriculum; National action plan on antimicrobial resistance; One-health |
| Risk factors for positivity to shiga toxin-producing escherichia coli and salmonella enterica in backyard production systems animals from metropolitana region, chile: A threat to public health? | In the Metropolitana region of Chile there are 3836 backyard production systems (BPS), characterized as small-scale systems. They act as a source of zoonotic pathogens, such as Salmonella enterica and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), whose prevalence in BPS has not been fully de-scribed. The objective of this study was to determine the positivity for both agents in BPS and to establish the risk factors related to their presence. In each BPS, an epidemiological survey was undertaken, and stool samples were collected to detect these pathogens via bacteriological culture and conventional PCR techniques. Subsequently, multivariable logistic regression models were applied to establish the risk factors associated with their presence. BPS positivity rates of 11.76% for STEC and 4.7% for S. enterica were observed. The systems showed poor welfare standards and a lack of biosecurity measures. The risk factor analysis concluded that the Gini–Simpson index (p = 0.030; OR = 1.717) and the presence of neighboring intensive poultry or swine production systems (p = 0.019; OR = 20.645) act as factors that increased the risk of positivity with respect to STEC. In the case of S. enterica, exchanging embryonated eggs (p = 0.021; OR = 39) and the presence of debeaked chickens (p = 0.001; OR = 156) were determined as factors that increased the risk of positivity for this agent. For positivity with respect to both pathogens, the Gini–Simpson index (p = 0.030; OR = 1.544) and being INDAP/PRODESAL users (p = 0.023; OR = 15.026) were determined as factors that increased the risk, whereas the type of confinement (p = 0.002; OR = 0.019) decreased it. Epidemiological surveillance of these neglected populations is lacking, highlighting the fact that STEC and S. enterica maintenance on BPS represents a potential threat to public health. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | Animals; Chickens; Chile; Escherichia coli Infections; Public Health; Risk Factors; Salmonella enterica; Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli; Swine; Chile; Escherichia coli; Gallus gallus; Salmonella enterica; Shiga toxin; coliform bacterium; epidemiology; metropolitan area; public health; risk factor; animal welfare; Article; bacterial growth; bacterium culture; bacterium isolation; chicken; Chile; Escherichia coli; nonhuman; pig; polymerase chain reaction; poultry; public health; risk factor; Salmonella enterica; species diversity; animal; Escherichia coli infection; public health; risk factor; Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli | Backyard production systems; One health; Public health; Risk factors; Salmonella enterica; STEC; Zoonosis |
| Prevalence of antibodies to toxoplasma gondii in different wild bird species admitted to rehabilitation centres in Portugal | Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide zoonotic parasite. According to the “One Health” approach, studies on toxoplasmosis are essential since it affects humans and domestic and wild animals. In the present study, antibodies to T. gondii were determined in serum samples from 263 wild birds located in five wildlife rehabilitation centres in mainland Portugal by using the modified agglutination test (MAT) with a cut-off titre of 20. An overall seroprevalence of 36.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 30.7–42.6) was observed. For the first time, antibodies to T. gondii were detected in some avian species, including pallid swift (Apus pallidus) (33.3%), black-backed gull (Larus fuscus) (39.3%), European turtle-dove (Streptopelia turtur) (100%), bee-eater (Merops apiaster) (50.0%), carrion crow (Corvus corone) (33.3%), and Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) (100%), which expands the list of intermediate hosts of T. gondii. A lower seroprevalence was found in juvenile birds (31.9%) compared to adults (48.7%) (p = 0.016). The central region of Portugal was considered a risk factor for T. gondii infection in wild birds (odds ratio: 3.61; 95% CI: 1.09–11.91). This pioneer study calls attention to the need for further studies, to provide a clearer understanding of T. gondii epidemiology in Portugal, because it reflects wide dispersion of T. gondii oocysts in the environment. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | antibody; Accipiter gentilis; Accipiter nisus; adult; Aegypius monachus; agglutination test; animal experiment; antibody titer; Apus pallidus; Aquila pennata; Ardea cinerea; Article; Asio flammeus; Asio otus; Athene noctua; bird; Bubo bubo; Buteo buteo; Caprimulgus europaeus; carrion crow; Ciconia ciconia; Circaetus gallicus; Circus aeruginosus; Columba livia; controlled study; Falco peregrinus; Falco tinnunculus; female; geographic distribution; Gyps fulvus; Larus fuscus; Larus michahellis; male; Merops apiaster; Milvus migrans; Milvus milvus; modified agglutination test; Morus bassanus; Neophron percnopterus; nonhuman; Pernis apivorus; prevalence; rehabilitation center; seroprevalence; Streptopelia turtur; Strix aluco; summer; Toxoplasma gondii; toxoplasmosis; Tyto alba; Upupa epops; winter; zoonosis | MAT; One Health; Portugal; Seroprevalence; Toxoplasma gondii; Wild birds; Zoonosis |
| A Cross-Sectional Study on the Association Between Risk Factors of Toxoplasmosis and One Health Knowledge in Pakistan | Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan that infects warm-blooded animals and humans. Approximately one third of the global population is infected by T. gondii. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the risk factors and One Health knowledge of toxoplasmosis in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan. From July through December 2020, we collected data using questionnaires. The results showed that 60% of participants had heard or read about the disease, 23.3% of participants had no knowledge about the disease, and 16.8% participants were not sure about the disease. More than half of the participants (53.3%) reported that toxoplasmosis was caused by toxins, 5.3% reported that toxoplasmosis was an animal disease, 13.8% reported that toxoplasmosis was a human disease, 65.8% reported that it was both an animal and human disease, and 15.3% reported that it was neither an animal nor a human disease. Approximately 80.5% of participants reported that individuals acquired toxoplasmosis by changing cat litter. Our study findings revealed a low level of knowledge and awareness about toxoplasmosis among males. Therefore, there should be awareness programs to educate individuals about the risks of this deadly disease and to provide information on the major routes of transmission. Copyright © 2021 Maqsood, Shahzad, Naz, Simsek, Afzal, Ali, Ahmed and Cao. | toxin; adult; Article; attitude assessment; attitude to health; cat; clinical assessment; cross-sectional study; female; human; infection risk; male; One Health; Pakistan; questionnaire; risk assessment; risk factor; Toxoplasma gondii; toxoplasmosis; university student | attitude; knowledge; one health; Pakistan; practices; risk factor; toxoplasmosis |
| One Health Implications of Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria from Amazon River Dolphins | Studies on the microbiota of freshwater cetaceans are scarce and may provide important data on animal and environmental health. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of Gram-negative bacteria recovered from two populations of free-ranging Amazon river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis). Twenty-one animals were captured and released, 13 from Negro River and 8 from Tapajós River, Brazil. Swab samples were obtained from the oral cavity, blowhole, genital opening and rectum and were cultured on MacConkey agar. Isolates were biochemically identified, and antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by disk diffusion method. Overall, 132 isolates were recovered, of which 71 were recovered from animals from Negro River and 61 from Tapajós River. The most commonly recovered bacterial species were Enterobacter cloacae, Morganella morganii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Overall, 51.6% (63/122) of the isolates were not-susceptible (intermediate resistance and resistance), of which 28/122 (22.9%) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial. Cephalothin, cefuroxime and cefepime were the drugs to which more resistant and intermediate results were observed (P < 0.001). The results indicate that free-ranging Amazon river dolphins host resistant bacteria, contributing for their maintenance in the environment. This study highlights the importance of the One Health approach to monitor the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Summary Gram-negative bacteria recovered from 21 free-ranging Amazon river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) from the Negro River and the Tapajós River populations were evaluated for their antimicrobial susceptibility. Overall, 51.6% (63/122) of the isolates were not-susceptible (intermediate resistance and resistance), of which 28/122 (22.9%) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial. Cephalothin, cefuroxime and cefepime were the drugs to which more resistant and intermediate results were observed. Thus, free-ranging Amazon river dolphins, never treated with antimicrobials, host resistant bacteria, contributing for their maintenance in the environment and highlighting the importance of the One Health approach to monitor the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. © 2021, EcoHealth Alliance. | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Dolphins; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; One Health; antiinfective agent; animal; antibiotic resistance; bacterium; microbial sensitivity test; One Health; toothed whale | Cetaceans; Enterobacterales; Freshwater; Microbiota; One Health |
| Preliminary results on the prevalence of Salmonella spp. In marine animals stranded in sicilian coasts: Antibiotic susceptibility profile and args detection in the isolated strains | The presence of Salmonella spp. in marine animals is a consequence of contamination from terrestrial sources (human activities and animals). Bacteria present in marine environments, including Salmonella spp., can be antibiotic resistant or harbor resistance genes. In this study, Salmonella spp. detection was performed on 176 marine animals stranded in the Sicilian coasts (south Italy). Antibiotic susceptibility, by disk diffusion method and MIC determination, and antibiotic resistance genes, by molecular methods (PCR) of the Salmonella spp. strains, were evaluated. We isolated Salmonella spp. in three animals, though no pathological signs were detected. Our results showed a low prevalence of Salmonella spp. (1.7%) and a low incidence of phenotypic resistance in three Salmonella spp. strains isolated. Indeed, of the three strains, only Salmonella subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium from S. coeruleoalba and M. mobular showed phenotypic resistance: the first to ampicillin, tetracycline, and sulphamethoxazole, while the latter only to sulphamethoxazole. However, all strains harbored resistance genes (blaTEM, blaOXA, tet(A), tet(D), tet(E), sulI, and sulII). Although the low prevalence of Salmonella spp. found in this study does not represent a relevant health issue, our data contribute to the collection of information on the spread of ARGs, elements involved in antibiotic resistance, now considered a zoonosis in a One Health approach. © 2021 by the authors. | ampicillin; azithromycin; beta lactamase; cefotaxime; chloramphenicol; ciprofloxacin; colistin; DNA 16S; gentamicin; meropenem; nalidixic acid; sulfamethoxazole; tetracycline; tigecycline; trimethoprim; animal tissue; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic sensitivity; Article; autopsy; bacterial virulence; bacterium identification; bacterium isolate; bacterium isolation; blaOXA gene; blaTEM gene; bottlenose dolphin; Caretta; controlled study; disk diffusion; fish; gene; genetic analysis; incidence; information processing; marine environment; marine species; minimum inhibitory concentration; Mobula mobular; nonhuman; One Health; phenotype; polymerase chain reaction; preliminary data; preservation; prevalence; Salmonella enterica; Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium; sea turtle; serotyping; Stenella coeruleoalba; sulI gene; sulII gene; tet A gene; tet D gene; tet E gene; zoonosis | Antibiotic resistance; Marine animals; Salmonella enterica |
| Antimicrobial Resistance of Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus Isolated From Healthy Crioulo Horses and Associated Risk Factors | Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global concern that must be addressed from a one health perspective. Horses are companion animals and their contact with humans facilitates exchange of resistant bacteria. This study aimed to evaluate AMR of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus (CoPS), including Staphylococcus aureus, isolated from healthy Crioulo horses. Swab samples from nostrils (n = 214) and skin (n = 107) of 107 horses from Porto Alegre, South Brazil, were used for CoPS isolation. The isolates were evaluated for AMR and a multivariate logistic regression was applied to identify the risk factors associated to this outcome, using information on horses’ management and installations where they were maintained. A total of 143 CoPS were isolated from 79 horses (73.8%), of which 8 (5.6%) were S. aureus. The isolates showed resistance to seven of 10 tested antimicrobials and 38.5% (55/143) of them were resistant to at least one antimicrobial. One isolate (0.7%; 1/143) was classified as multidrug-resistant. Regarding S. aureus, 62.5 % (5/8) showed AMR, but none were methicillin-resistant. The risk factors associated with CoPS’ antimicrobial resistance were lower frequency of bed changing (OR = 6.40; P =.001) and nonaccumulation of bed materials (OR = 3.47; P =.002). The results point that healthy horses have antimicrobial-resistant CoPS and S. aureus in their microbiota, which may be of concern for animal and human health. Moreover, bed management was associated with AMR, which can serve as a guide for best practices to be adopted to avoid the occurrence of resistant bacteria in these animals. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Coagulase; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Horses; Risk Factors; Staphylococcus; Staphylococcus aureus; antibiotic agent; azithromycin; cefoxitin; cephalosporin; doxycycline; erythromycin; penicillin derivative; sulfanilamide; antiinfective agent; coagulase; antibiotic resistance; Article; bacterium isolation; coagulase positive Staphylococcus; controlled study; female; horse; male; multidrug resistant bacterium; nonhuman; respiratory tract infection; risk factor; Staphylococcus aureus; animal; antibiotic resistance; horse; risk factor; Staphylococcus | Antibiotics; Bed management; one health; Staphylococcus aureus; Training centers |
| One health interdisciplinary collaboration in veterinary education establishments in europe: Mapping implementation and reflecting on promotion | One Health recognizes the interconnection of people, animals, and the environment and encourages a multidisciplinary approach. Several high-level European and global policy recommendations call for close intersectoral collaboration to better understand and manage health challenges faced today. Academic education has a fundamental role in preparing all health professionals in that respect. Our research investigates whether, and how, European Veterinary Education Establishments (VEEs) implement interdisciplinarity. We collected data on undergraduate education, post-graduate programs, and academic research through a pan-European survey. Our aim was to identify policy actions that could encourage cross-sectoral education and a culture of One Health at universities. Input from 41 VEEs showed that interdisciplinary education for undergraduates is still in the early stages. The models of academic structure, undergraduate curricula, and education policies established so far hinder interdisciplinarity. One Health interdisciplinary post-graduate education is easier, at least in some countries, while research successfully integrates multidisciplinary interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches . To conclude, we propose five recommendations to promote interdisciplinary education in veterinary and other curricula and to further encourage the intersectoral cooperation in research: (1) the need for the development of One Health transdisciplinary competencies across different discipline curricula in the European Union (EU); (2) the need for an integrated strategy of university structures and policies (for undergraduates and post-graduates) to encourage and support interdisciplinarity; (3) the need for a harmonized approach to academic education via accreditation; (4) the need for appropriate legislation to facilitate interdisciplinary training; and (5) the need to encourage One Health research. © 2021 University of Toronto Press Inc.. All rights reserved. | Animals; Curriculum; Education, Veterinary; Europe; One Health; accreditation; article; Europe; European Union; human; human experiment; interdisciplinary education; interdisciplinary research; intersectoral collaboration; law; medical research; One Health; postgraduate education; veterinary education; animal; curriculum; education; Europe | EU education policy; Interdisciplinary training; Multidisciplinary research; One Health education; Veterinary and medical education |
| Antimicrobial resistance in commensal Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. is influenced by production system, antimicrobial use, and biosecurity measures on Spanish pig farms | Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health threat consequence of antimicrobial use (AMU) in human and animal medicine. In food-producing animals factors such as management, husbandry or biosecurity may impact AMU. Organic and extensive Iberian swine productions are based on a more sustainable and eco-friendly management system, providing an excellent opportunity to evaluate how sustained differences in AMU impact the AMR in indicator bacteria. Here, we evaluate the usefulness of commensal Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. isolates as AMR bioindicators when comparing 37 Spanish pig farms from both intensive and organic-extensive production systems, considering the effect of AMU and biosecurity measures, the last only on intensive farms. Results: The production system was the main factor contributing to explain the AMR differences in E. coli and Enterococcus spp. In both bacteria, the pansusceptible phenotype was more common (p < 0.001) on organic-extensive farms when compared to intensive herds. The microbiological resistance in commensal E. coli was, for most of the antimicrobials evaluated, significantly higher (p < 0.05) on intensive farms. In enterococci, the lincosamides usage revealed the association between AMR and AMU, with an increase in the AMR for erythromycin (p < 0.01), quinupristin-dalfopristin (p < 0.01) and the multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype (p < 0.05). The biosecurity measures implemented on intensive farms influenced the AMR of these bioindicators, with a slightly lower resistance to sulfamethoxazole (p < 0.01) and the MDR phenotype (p < 0.05) in E. coli isolated from farms with better cleaning and disinfection protocols. On these intensive farms, we also observed that larger herds had a higher biosecurity when compared to smaller farms (p < 0.01), with no significant associations between AMU and the biosecurity scores. Conclusions: Overall, this study evidences that the production system and, to a lesser extent, the biosecurity measures, contribute to the AMR development in commensal E. coli and Enterococcus spp., with antimicrobial usage as the main differential factor, and demonstrates the potential value of these bacteria as bioindicators on pig farms in AMR surveillance programs. © 2021, The Author(s). | ampicillin; antiinfective agent; chloramphenicol; ciprofloxacin; dalfopristin plus quinupristin; daptomycin; erythromycin; gentamicin; lincosamide; linezolid; nalidixic acid; sulfamethoxazole; teicoplanin; tetracycline; trimethoprim; vancomycin; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic sensitivity; Article; biosafety; broth dilution; chloramphenicol resistance; ciprofloxacin resistance; cleaning; commensal Escherichia coli; controlled study; disinfection; Enterococcus; food industry; gentamicin resistance; herd; hierarchical clustering; minimum inhibitory concentration; multidrug resistance; nonhuman; One Health; phenotype; pig farming; sustainable agriculture; tetracycline resistance | Antibiotic usage; Bioindicator; Enterococcus spp; Escherichia coli; One health; Sustainable farming; Swine |
| New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) myiasis in feral swine of Uruguay: One Health and transboundary disease implications | Background: Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are highly invasive and threaten animal and human health in the Americas. The screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) is listed by the World Organization for Animal Health as a notifiable infestation because myiasis cases affect livestock, wildlife, and humans in endemic areas, and outbreaks can have major socioeconomic consequences in regions where the screwworm has been eradicated. However, a knowledge gap exists on screwworm infestation of feral swine in South America, where the screwworm is endemic. Here, we report screwworm infestation of feral swine harvested in Artigas Department (Uruguay), where the Republic of Uruguay shares borders with Brazil and Argentina. Methods: Myiasis caused by the larvae of screwworm were identified in feral swine with the support and collaboration of members of a local feral swine hunting club over a 3-year period in the Department of Artigas. Harvested feral swine were examined for the presence of lesions where maggots causing the myiasis could be sampled and processed for taxonomic identification. The sites of myiasis on the body of infested feral swine and geospatial data for each case were recorded. The sex and relative size of each feral swine were also recorded. Temperature and precipitation profiles for the region were obtained from public sources. Results: Myiases caused by screwworms were recorded in 27 of 618 the feral swine harvested. Cases detected in males weighing > 40 kg were associated with wounds that, due to their location, were likely caused by aggressive dominance behavior between adult males. The overall prevalence of screwworm infestation in the harvested feral swine was associated with ambient temperature, but not precipitation. Case numbers peaked in the warmer spring and summer months. Conclusions: This is the first report on myiasis in feral swine caused by screwworm in South America. In contrast to myiasis in cattle, which can reach deep into host tissues, screwworms in feral swine tended to cause superficial infestation. The presence of feral swine in screwworm endemic areas represents a challenge to screwworm management in those areas. Screwworm populations maintained by feral swine may contribute to human cases in rural areas of Uruguay, which highlights the importance of the One Health approach to the study of this invasive host species–ectoparasite interaction.[Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2021, The Author(s). | Animals; Animals, Wild; Calliphoridae; Disease Outbreaks; Female; Humans; Larva; Livestock; Male; One Health; Screw Worm Infection; Seasons; Swine; Uruguay; adult; animal experiment; animal model; Argentina; Article; body weight; Brazil; Cochliomyia; controlled study; disease association; environmental temperature; European wild boar; female; male; myiasis; nonhuman; precipitation; prevalence; sex; spring; summer; taxonomic identification; temperature; Uruguay; wound; animal; Calliphoridae; epidemic; human; larva; livestock; New World screwworm myiasis; One Health; parasitology; pathogenicity; physiology; pig; season; veterinary medicine; wild animal | Cochliomyia hominivorax; Feral swine; Invasive species; Myiasis; One Health; Screwworm; Sus scrofa; Transboundary; Zoonosis |
| One Health in allergology: A concept that connects humans, animals, plants, and the environment | [No abstract available] | Allergens; Animals; Humans; Hypersensitivity; One Health; allergen; carbon dioxide; ozone; allergenicity; Article; climate change; disease course; disease duration; disease severity; environmental health; greenhouse effect; human; immunocompetent cell; immunology; microbiome; nonhuman; One Health; pollution; public health; World Health Organization; animal; hypersensitivity | allergens; climate; global; planet; public health |
| Surveillance of foodborne parasitic diseases in Europe in a One Health approach | In 2012, WHO/FAO ranked 24 foodborne parasites (FBP) using multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) to provide risk assessors with a basis for prioritising control of highly ranked FBP on the global level. One conclusion was that ranking may differ substantially per region. In Europe, the same methodology was used to rank FBP of relevance for Europe. Of the 24 FBP, the top-five prioritised FBP were identified for Europe as Echinococcus multilocularis, Toxoplasma gondii, Trichinella spiralis, E. granulosus, and Cryptosporidium spp., all of which are zoonotic. The objective of the present study was to provide an overview of surveillance and reporting systems in Europe for these top five prioritised FBP in the human and animal populations, to identify gaps, and give recommendations for improvement. Information on the surveillance systems was collected from 35 European countries and analysed according to the five different regions. For most FBP, human surveillance is passive in most countries and regions in Europe and notification differs between countries and regions. Adequate surveillance programmes for these FBP are lacking, except for T. spiralis, which is notifiable in 34 countries with active surveillance in susceptible animals under EU directive. Although human and animal surveillance data are available for the five prioritised FBP, we identified a lack of consistency in surveillance and reporting requirements between national experts and European bodies. Recommendations for improved surveillance systems are discussed. © 2021 | active surveillance; Article; Cryptosporidium; disease notification; disease surveillance; Echinococcus granulosus; Echinococcus multilocularis; Europe; European; food poisoning; human; nonhuman; One Health; parasitosis; population research; Toxoplasma gondii; Trichinella spiralis | Animals; Foodborne parasites; One Health surveillance; Underreporting |
| One health approach to zoonotic parasites: Molecular detection of intestinal protozoans in an urban population of norway rats, rattus norvegicus, in Barcelona, Spain | Rattus norvegicus, the brown or Norway rat, is the most abundant mammal after humans in urban areas, where they live in close proximity to people. Among rodent-borne diseases, the reservoir role of Norway rats of zoonotic parasites in cities has practically been ignored. Considering the parasitic diseases in the One Health approach, we intended to identify and quantify the zoonotic intestinal protozoans (ZIP) in an urban population of R. norvegicus in the city of Barcelona, Spain. We studied the presence of ZIP in 100 rats trapped in parks (n = 15) as well as in the city’s sewage system (n = 85) in the winter of 2016/17. The protozoans were molecularly identified by means of a multiplex PCR (Allplex™ Gastrointestinal Panel-Parasite Assay). We also investigated the presence of co-infections among the species found. Four ZIP were identified, presenting significant prevalences in sewers, specifically Blastocystis (83.5%), Giardia duodenalis (37.7%), Cryptosporidium spp. (34.1%), and Dientamoeba fragilis (14.1%). Several co-infections among the detected ZIP were also detected. The reservoir role of ZIP that Norway rats play in cities as well as the role rats may play as sentinels of zoonotic parasites affecting humans in urban areas are strongly backed up by our findings. The increasing worldwide urbanization, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic are factors that are producing an increase in human–rat interactions. Our results should be considered a warning to the authorities to intensify rat control and surveillance in public health interventions. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | small subunit ribosomal RNA; animal experiment; animal model; Article; Blastocystis hominis; Cryptosporidium; Cyclospora cayetanensis; Dientamoeba; disease transmission; DNA extraction; Entamoeba histolytica; female; Giardia intestinalis; intestine parasite; male; molecular diagnosis; molecular fingerprinting; multilocus sequence typing; multiplex real time polymerase chain reaction; nonhuman; parasitic zoonosis; protozoan zoonosis; rat; Rattus norvegicus; real time polymerase chain reaction; urban population | Barcelona; Blastocystis; Cryp-tosporidium spp; Dientamoeba fragilis; Giardia duodenalis; One Health approach; Rattus norvegicus; Zoonoses |
| An exploration of the protective effect of rodent species richness on the geographical expansion of lassa fever in West Africa | Background Lassa fever (LF) is one of the most devastating rodent-borne diseases in West Africa, caus-ing thousands of deaths annually. The geographical expansion of LF is also a concern; cases were recently identified in Ghana and Benin. Previous ecological studies have suggested that high natural-host biodiversity reduces the likelihood of spillover transmission of rodent-borne diseases, by suppressing the activities of reservoir species. However, the association of biodiversity with the geographical expansion of LF has not been the subject of epidemiological studies. Methodology/Principal findings We conducted a spatial analysis based on sociodemographic, geographical, and ecological data, and found that higher rodent species richness was significantly associated with a lower risk of LF emergence in West Africa from 2008 to 2017 (Odds Ratio = 0.852, 95% Credible Interval = 0.745–0.971). Conclusions/Significance The results reinforce the importance of the ‘One Health’ approach by demonstrating that a high level of biodiversity could benefit human health. © 2021 Min et al. | Africa, Western; Animals; Benin; Biodiversity; Disease Outbreaks; Disease Reservoirs; Geography; Ghana; Humans; Lassa Fever; Lassa virus; One Health; Rodent Diseases; Rodentia; Spatial Analysis; Africa; Article; biodiversity; Carnivora; controlled study; demography; disease surveillance; disease transmission; epidemic; geographic distribution; human; Lassa fever; Leishmania; Mastomys natalensis; mortality; One Health; particulate matter; phylogenetic tree; population density; receiver operating characteristic; risk assessment; risk factor; rodent; sensitivity and specificity; spatial analysis; species richness; animal; Benin; disease carrier; geography; Ghana; Lassa fever; Lassa virus; rodent; rodent disease; veterinary medicine; virology |
| Systems-thinking approach to identify and assess feasibility of potential interventions to reduce antibiotic use in tilapia farming in Egypt | Antibiotics are used in aquaculture to maintain the health and welfare of stocks; however, the emergence and selection of antibiotic resistance in bacteria poses threats to humans, animals and the environment. Mitigation of antibiotic resistance relies on understanding the flow of antibiotics, residues, resistant bacteria and resistance genes through interconnecting systems, so that potential solutions can be identified and issues around their implementation evaluated. Participatory systems-thinking can capture the deep complexity of a system while integrating stakeholder perspectives. In this present study, such an approach was applied to Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) production in the Nile Delta of Egypt, where disease events caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens have been reported. A system map was co-produced with aquaculture stakeholders at a workshop in May 2018 and used to identify hotspots of antibiotic use, exposure and fate and to describe approaches that would promote fish health and thus reduce antibiotic use. Antibiotics are introduced into the aquaculture system via direct application for example in medicated feed, but residues may also be introduced into the system through agricultural drainage water, which is the primary source of water for most fish farms in Egypt. A follow-up survey of stakeholders assessed the perceived feasibility, advantages and disadvantages of potential interventions. Interventions that respondents felt could be implemented in the short-term to reduce antibiotic usage effectively included: more frequent water exchanges, regular monitoring of culture water quality parameters, improved storage conditions for feed, use of probiotics and greater access to farmer and service providers training programmes. Other potential interventions included greater access to suitable and rapid diagnostics, high quality feeds, improved biosecurity measures and genetically-improved fish, but these solutions were expected to be achieved as long-term goals, with cost being of one of the noted barriers to implementation. Identifying feasible and sustainable interventions that can be taken to reduce antibiotic use, and understanding implementation barriers, are important for addressing antibiotic resistance and ensuring the continued efficacy of antibiotics. This is vital to ensuring the productivity of the tilapia sector in Egypt. The approach taken in the present study provides a means to identify points in the system where the effectiveness of interventions can be evaluated and thus it may be applied to other food production systems to combat the problem of antibiotic resistance. © 2021 Elsevier B.V. | Egypt; Nile Delta; Matthiola; Oreochromis niloticus; Tilapia; antibiotics; cichlid; disease resistance; feasibility study; fish culture; genetic analysis; pathogenicity; stock assessment | Antibiotic resistance; Antimicrobial resistance; Aquaculture; Egypt; One health; Tilapia |
| Unsafe “crossover-use” of chloramphenicol in Uganda: importance of a One Health approach in antimicrobial resistance policy and regulatory action | Since the introduction of antibiotics into mainstream health care, resistance to these drugs has become a widespread issue that continues to increase worldwide. Policy decisions to mitigate the development of antimicrobial resistance are hampered by the current lack of surveillance data on antibiotic product availability and use in low-income countries. This study collected data on the antibiotics stocked in human (42) and veterinary (21) drug shops in five sub-counties in Luwero district of Uganda. Focus group discussions with drug shop vendors were also employed to explore antibiotic use practices in the community. Focus group participants reported that farmers used human-intended antibiotics for their livestock, and community members obtain animal-intended antibiotics for their own personal human use. Specifically, chloramphenicol products licensed for human use were being administered to Ugandan poultry. Human consumption of chloramphenicol residues through local animal products represents a serious public health concern. By limiting the health sector scope of antimicrobial resistance research to either human or animal antibiotic use, results can falsely inform policy and intervention strategies. Therefore, a One Health approach is required to understand the wider impact of community antibiotic use and improve overall effectiveness of intervention policy and regulatory action. © 2021, The Author(s). | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Chloramphenicol; Drug Prescriptions; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Humans; Legislation, Drug; Livestock; One Health; Poultry Diseases; Uganda; Veterinary Drugs; chloramphenicol; drug residue; florfenicol; lefamulin; linezolid; sulfadiazine; sulfadimidine; tiamulin; antiinfective agent; chloramphenicol; veterinary drug; adult; agricultural worker; antibiotic resistance; Article; controlled study; coughing; cross resistance; crossover use; drug cost; drug safety; drug use; fever; health care policy; human; livestock; One Health; pharmacy (shop); poultry; prescription; public health; quantitative study; structured questionnaire; tablet; Uganda; veterinary pharmacy; animal; bird disease; drug legislation; One Health; Uganda; veterinary medicine |
| Health reporting characteristics among journalists in nepal utilizing a one health framework | Journalists play a crucial role in the dissemination of health-related information. In developing countries, such as Nepal, the media are integral in shaping the national agenda and informing the public of important health issues. With an increasing need for a collaborative effort to attain optimal health for people, animals, and the environment, the One Health approach was used to characterize health reporting in Nepal. A comprehensive survey was administered to health journalists regarding their public, animal, and environmental health reporting habits. Seventy-one journalists completed the survey across three study sites. Many journalists indicated a history of reporting across all three sectors but did not routinely focus on health reporting in general. The majority of journalists perceived the quality and overall coverage of health-related topics increased over the last five years. However, few journalists reported receiving specialized training in any health sector. Although the overall quality of health reporting in the Nepali media showed improvements, many journalists acknowledged a lack of understanding of common health topics and a desire to learn more skills related to accurate health reporting. One Health provides a conceptual framework for understanding and promoting health communication through mass media to benefit humans, animals, and ecosystems. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | Animals; Ecosystem; Humans; Mass Media; Nepal; One Health; Nepal; communication; conceptual framework; mass media; public health; questionnaire survey; training; article; conceptual framework; ecosystem; environmental health; habit; human; mass medium; medical information; Nepal; One Health; publishing; skill; animal; mass medium; Nepal | Health reporting; Journalists; Mass media; Nepal; One Health |
| Antibiotic resistance and virulence profiles of gram-negative bacteria isolated from loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) of the island of maio, cape verde | Previous studies revealed high levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), describing this species as prime reservoir of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. This study aimed to characterise, for the first time, the AMR and virulence profiles of Gram-negative bacteria isolated from 33 nesting loggerhead turtles of the island of Maio, Cape Verde. Cloacal, oral, and egg content swab samples (n = 99) were collected and analysed using conventional bacteriological techniques. Shewanella putrefaciens, Morganella morganii, and Vibrio alginolyticus were isolated from the samples under study. The isolates obtained from this loggerhead subpopulation (North-East Atlantic) revealed lower levels of AMR, compared with the results of studies performed in other subpopulations (e.g., Mediterranean). However, the detection of resistance to carbapenems and multiple antimicrobial resistance indices higher than 0.20, raises concern about the potential association of these animals to points of high antimicrobial exposure. Furthermore, virulence phenotypic characterisation revealed that the isolates presented complex virulence profiles, including the ability to produce biofilms. Finally, due to their pathogenic potential, and considering the evidence of illegal consumption of turtle-related products on the island of Maio, the identified bacteria may represent a significant threat to public health. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | amikacin; aminoglycoside; carbapenem derivative; cefoperazone; cefotaxime; ceftazidime; cephalosporin; ciprofloxacin; enrofloxacin; imipenem; meropenem; ofloxacin; piperacillin; quinolone derivative; tetracycline; tobramycin; ureidopenicillin; virulence factor; Aeromonas caviae; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic sensitivity; Article; bacterial virulence; bacterium identification; bacterium isolation; biofilm; Burkholderia cepacia; Cape Verde; Caretta; disk diffusion; Enterobacter cloacae; Escherichia coli; Gram negative bacterium; microbiological examination; Morganella morganii; nonhuman; phylogeny; sea turtle; Shewanella putrefaciens; Vibrio alginolyticus; zone of inhibition | Antimicrobial resistance; Bacterial virulence factors; Caretta caretta; Island of Maio; One Health |
| One welfare impacts of COVID-19 – A summary of key highlights within the one welfare framework | One Welfare describes the interconnection between animal welfare, human wellbeing and their physical and social environment. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the cause of COVID-19 and emerged as a human pathogen in 2019 although is thought to have a zoonotic source. The original wildlife reservoir and any potential intermediate hosts have not yet been identified. The combination of the virus zoonotic condition together with the impacts of disease control measures has exposed clear interconnections between animals, people and their environment from both a health and a welfare perspective. The One Welfare Framework comprises five sections that can help understand the different One Welfare levels on which the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world. This paper uses the One Welfare Framework to provide an overview of examples, within each of the five sections, where evidence is and/or can be made available to document COVID-19 impacts on One Welfare. The paper identifies a number of areas where further research and evidence gathering is required to better understand the different One Welfare impacts. Based on evidence summarised in this paper the author recommends that those responsible for managing the COVID-19 impacts and for planning the future recovery phase of the pandemic should consider adopting a holistic approach, including both health and welfare, by adopting & One Health, One Welfare & policies. © 2021 Elsevier B.V. | SARS coronavirus; COVID-19; disease control; epidemic; holistic approach; pathogen; virus | Animal welfare; COVID-19; One health; One welfare; Sustainability; Wellbeing |
| Relational health: Theorizing plants as health-supporting actors | ‘Plant blindness’ stops people from recognizing the important role that plants play in society, and is acute when it comes to seeing how plants support health. The social sciences are beginning to explore how plants are imbricated in sociopolitical processes, including ones that produce health. This paper theorizes people-plant relations and the agency of plants in the production of health, drawing on data from a multispecies ethnography conducted in Toronto’s largest social housing community during the 2018 growing season. The paper applies a posthumanist lens to find that food-producing plants in the area exert their agency and are health-supporting actors when collaborating with residents to advocate for community gardens and influence neighbourhood design. By arguing that plants are actual agents of change in sociopolitical processes, the article deepens an understanding of the health-supporting role of plants and provides empirical evidence for a view of health as a process, as opposed to a status, that is produced through relationships. The paper suggests that the term ‘relational health’ be used to describe a conception of health that recognizes that health is produced through interconnections and interdependencies, including between people and plants. The article contributes to discourses exploring the human health relationship to nature, including One Health. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd | Anthropology, Cultural; Gardening; Humans; Plants; Residence Characteristics; Social Sciences; ethnography; garden; growing season; health impact; health status; neighborhood; plant; theoretical study; vegetation cover; adult; article; conception; drawing; ethnography; female; gardening; growing season; housing; human; human experiment; land use; male; neighborhood; One Health; plant yield; resident; cultural anthropology; demography; plant; sociology | Gardening; One health; Plants; Posthumanism; Relational health |
| The Comfort Dog Project of Northern Uganda: An Innovative Canine-Assisted Psychosocial Trauma Recovery Programme | In 2012, BIG FIX Uganda, an American-based animal welfare organisation, began offering veterinary health services and animal welfare education in northern Uganda to improve the wellbeing of animals and their guardians. In 2014, the organisation expanded its inclusive health platform with the creation of the Comfort Dog Project – an animal-assisted psychosocial intervention for survivors of war trauma through the facilitation of human-dog companionship. This article focuses on how blending community trauma counselling with dog training and bonding instruction can improve the social and emotional skills of dog guardians while creating loving, stress-buffering relationships with their dogs. Fifty-nine guardians and their comfort dogs graduated this 20-week animal assisted trauma intervention between 2015 and 2020. Psychological assessments taken pre- and post-graduation, as well as annual follow-up testing over a 4-year-period, indicate that this therapeutic model can be effective at reducing the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and improving the wellbeing of both the guardians and their comfort dogs. © 2021 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. All rights reserved. | animal-assisted therapy; human-animal bond; humanitarian assistance; northern Uganda; One Health Initiative; posttraumatic stress disorder; psychosocial support; rabies prevention |
| Presence of helicobacter pylori and h. Suis dna in free-range wild boars | Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a Gram-negative bacterium that infects half of the human population worldwide, causing gastric disorders, such as chronic gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcers, and gastric malignancies. Helicobacter suis (H. suis) is mainly associated with pigs, but can also colonize the stomach of humans, resulting in gastric pathologies. In pigs, H. suis can induce gastritis and seems to play a role in gastric ulcer disease, seriously affecting animal production and welfare. Since close interactions between domestic animals, wildlife, and humans can increase bacterial transmission risk between species, samples of gastric tissue of 14 free range wild boars (Sus scrofa) were evaluated for the presence of H. pylori and H. suis using PCR. Samples from the antral gastric mucosa from two animals were PCR-positive for H. pylori and another one for H. suis. These findings indicate that these microorganisms were able to colonize the stomach of wild boars and raise awareness for their putative intervention in Helicobacter spp. transmission cycle. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | agarose; amoxicillin; DNA; RNA 16S; adult; animal experiment; animal tissue; animal welfare; Article; awareness; bacterial transmission; chronic gastritis; controlled study; DNA extraction; domestic animal; duodenum ulcer; electrophoresis; European wild boar; gastritis; geographic distribution; Gram negative bacterium; Helicobacter pylori; Helicobacter suis; microorganism; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; pig; polymerase chain reaction; prevalence; punch biopsy; pylorus gland; Sanger sequencing; sequence analysis; stomach antrum; stomach cancer; stomach disease; stomach fundus gland; stomach mucosa; stomach tissue; ultraviolet radiation; wildlife; zoonosis | Helicobacter spp; One health; PCR; Sus scrofa; Wildlife; Zoonosis |
| Survey of One Health programs in U.S. medical schools and development of a novel one health elective for medical students | Lessons learned from recent pandemics, such as SARS-CoV-2 have illustrated that education and training in a One Health approach, which recognizes the interdependency of the health of people, animals and the environment, are essential in improving preparations for and responses to disease outbreaks. For this reason and others, there is a critical need to provide One Health (OH) training to medical professionals early in their careers. 133 U.S. medical schools were surveyed for the incorporation of OH learning activities. Results showed that 56% of surveyed programs included OH-related subject matter, primarily in the context of preclinical classroom learning. This supports previous findings that OH education efforts in medical schools lag behind veterinary schools, with many veterinary schools already including OH as a central part of their curricula. A two week OH elective course for third year medical students was developed and implemented at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Topics such as emerging infectious diseases, zoonoses, vector-borne diseases, epidemiology, emergency preparedness, the human-animal bond, and effects of climate change on public health were discussed. The 21 participants were surveyed before and after the course regarding their knowledge and understanding of OH. Participation in the course enhanced the students’ knowledge of OH and furthermore, the students’ perception of the importance of incorporating OH within the curriculum and in their future careers changed significantly. This study provides clear evidence that successful integration of OH material is achievable at low cost through interdepartmental and interdisciplinary collaboration. A more holistic approach to health care that takes into consideration environmental, wildlife, and domestic animal factors, and introduction of concepts such as OH into the medical school curriculum, can help close the educational gaps identified in the surveys. © 2021 | adult; Article; curriculum development; demography; descriptive research; education program; human; knowledge management; medical school; medical society; medical student; One Health; program development; student attitude; United States; veterinary medicine | Curriculum; Medical education; Medical school; Multidisciplinary; One Health; Survey |
| ESBL and AmpC β-Lactamase Encoding Genes in E. coli From Pig and Pig Farm Workers in Vietnam and Their Association With Mobile Genetic Elements | Animals are considered important sources of ESBL/AmpC-producing bacteria in humans. We analyzed indications of transfer of ESBL/AmpC genes between pigs and pig farmers in Vietnam by analyzing whole genome sequences of 114 ESBL/AmpC-producing E. coli isolated from the two hosts, and performed conjugation experiments and plasmid profiling to confirm that such transfer could have happened. ESBL-encoding genes detected in pigs and pig farmers included blaCTX–M-55, blaCTX-M-27, blaCTX-M-65, blaCTX-M-15, blaCTX-M-14, blaCTX-M-3, blaCTX-M-24, and blaCARB-2, and AmpC β-lactamases included blaCMY-2, blaDHA-1, and blaCMY-42. The most frequent ESBL gene, blaCTX-M-55, was carried on plasmid with replicons types IncF, IncX, IncH, IncN, IncR, and IncP. The insertion transposases downstream of the blaCTX-M-55 gene were different in plasmids carried by different strains. The second most detected gene, blaCTX-M-27, is found in a stable genetic arrangement with the same flanking transposons seen across strains, and the gene was located on similar conjugal IncF plasmid types, suggesting a horizontal spread of these plasmids. In three strains, we observed a novel blaCTX-M-27 harboring IncF type of plasmid which had not been reported before. Its closest reference in NCBI was the non-ESBL Salmonella Typhimurium plasmid pB71 that might have experienced an insertion of blaCTX-M-27. Our data also point to an emergence of plasmids co-carrying ESBL genes, mcr genes, quinolones and other antimicrobials resistance determinants, and such plasmids require special attention. Plasmids phylogeny confirmed that the blaCTX-M-55 encoding plasmids varied considerably, while those encoding blaCTX-M-27 were closely related. Plasmids harboring both ESBL genes were confirmed to be conjugative and not to differ in transfer efficacy. The isolates carrying the plasmids, even those with plasmids of similar types, showed wide genetic variation with high number of SNPs, suggesting horizontal spread of plasmids into different clonal lines. Their virulence profiles did not confirm to known pathotypes, suggesting that unrelated commensals are a main reservoir for ESBL and AmpC β-lactamases in both humans and pigs. Overall, despite evidence of transferability of plasmids in the analyzed strains, our findings do not support that ESBL-producing E. coli from pigs or their ESBL/AmpC encoding plasmids are commonly spread to workers in close contact with the animals. © Copyright © 2021 Hounmanou, Bortolaia, Dang, Truong, Olsen and Dalsgaard. | beta lactamase AmpC; biocide; colistin; extended spectrum beta lactamase; quinolone derivative; transposase; agricultural worker; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic sensitivity; Article; bacterial gene; bacterial virulence; bacterium isolation; Escherichia coli; gene sequence; genetic variability; genetic variation; genome analysis; genomics; microbial diversity; mobile genetic element; nonhuman; pathotype; phylogeny; pig; plasmid; single nucleotide polymorphism; whole genome sequencing | antimicrobial resistance; ESBL; genomics; mobile genetic element; one health; pigs; Vietnam; workers |
| Seroprevalence of hepatitis e virus in moose (Alces alces), reindeer (rangifer tarandus), red deer (cervus elaphus), roe deer (capreolus capreolus), and muskoxen (ovibos moschatus) from norway | Hepatitis E virus (HEV), a major cause of viral hepatitis worldwide, is considered an emerging foodborne zoonosis in Europe. Pigs (Sus scrofa domestica) and wild boars (S. scrofa) are recognized as important HEV reservoirs. Additionally, HEV infection and exposure have been described in cervids. In Norway, HEV has been identified in pigs and humans; however, little is known regarding its presence in wild ungulates in the country. We used a species-independent double-antigen sandwich ELISA to detect antibodies against HEV in the sera of 715 wild ungulates from Norway, including 164 moose (Alces alces), 186 wild Eurasian tundra reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus), 177 red deer (Cervus elaphus), 86 European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), and 102 muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus). The overall seroprevalence was 12.3% (88/715). Wild reindeer had the highest seropositivity (23.1%, 43/186), followed by moose (19.5%, 32/164), muskoxen (5.9%, 6/102), and red deer (4%, 7/177). All roe deer were negative. According to our results, HEV is circulating in wild ungulates in Norway. The high seroprevalence observed in wild reindeer and moose indicates that these species may be potential reservoirs of HEV. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of HEV exposure in reindeer from Europe and in muskoxen worldwide. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | Animals; Animals, Wild; Antibodies, Viral; Deer; Hepatitis E; Hepatitis E virus; Norway; Reindeer; Ruminants; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Sus scrofa; Swine; Swine Diseases; virus antibody; adult; animal experiment; Article; communicable disease; cross reaction; deer; domestic pig; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; female; geographic distribution; hepatitis E; Hepatitis E virus; immunization; male; molecular epidemiology; moose; muskox; nonhuman; Norway; occupation; One Health; phylogeny; pig; prevalence; red deer; reindeer; roe deer; sandwich ELISA; sensitivity and specificity; seroprevalence; tundra; ungulate; virus detection; wildlife; zoonosis; animal; blood; classification; genetics; hepatitis E; immunology; ruminant; seroepidemiology; swine disease; veterinary medicine; virology; wild animal | Cervids; Emerging infectious diseases; One Health; Orthohepevirus; Ungulates; Viral hepatitis; Wildlife; Zoonosis |
| Microbial communities of meat and meat products: An exploratory analysis of the product quality and safety at selected enterprises in South Africa | Consumption of food that is contaminated by microorganisms, chemicals, and toxins may lead to significant morbidity and mortality, which has negative socioeconomic and public health im-plications. Monitoring and surveillance of microbial diversity along the food value chain is a key component for hazard identification and evaluation of potential pathogen risks from farm to the con-sumer. The aim of this study was to determine the microbial diversity in meat and meat products from different enterprises and meat types in South Africa. Samples (n = 2017) were analyzed for Yersinia enterocolitica, Salmonella species, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus, and Clostridium botulinum using culture-based methods. PCR was used for confirmation of selected pathogens. Of the 2017 samples analyzed, microbial ecology was assessed for selected subsamples where next generation sequencing had been conducted, followed by the application of computational methods to reconstruct individual genomes from the respective sample (metagenomics). With the exception of Clostridium botulinum, selective culture-dependent methods revealed that samples were contaminated with at least one of the tested foodborne pathogens. The data from metagenomics analysis revealed the presence of diverse bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The analyses provide evidence of diverse and highly variable microbial communities in products of animal origin, which is important for food safety, food labeling, biosecurity, and shelf life limiting spoilage by microorganisms. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | Biosecurity; Culture dependent tech-niques; Culture-independent techniques; Food safety; Meat value chain; Metagenomics; One health; Pathogens |
| The adoption of the one health approach to improve surveillance of venomous animal injury, vector-borne and zoonotic diseases in foz do iguaçu, Brazil | Public health institutions with sectorized structure and low integration among field teams, old-fashioned practices such as paper-based storage system, and poorly qualified health agents have limited ability to conduct accurate surveillance and design effective timely inter-ventions. Herein, we describe the steps taken by the Zoonosis Control Center of Foz do Iguaçu (CCZ-Foz) in the last 23 years to move from an archaic and sectorized structure to a modern and timely surveillance program embracing zoonotic diseases, venomous animal injuries, and vector-borne diseases epidemiology under the One Health approach. The full implementation of the One Health approach was based on 5 axes: (1) merging sectorized field teams; (2) adoption of digital solutions; (3) health agents empowerment and permanent capacitation; (4) social mobilization; and (5) active surveys. By doing so, notifications related to zoonotic diseases and venomous animals increased 10 and 21 times, respectively, with no impairment on arbovirus surveillance (major concern in the city). Open sources database (PostgreSQL) and software (QGis) are daily updated and create real-time maps to support timely decisions. The adoption of One Health approach increased preparedness for endemic diseases and reemerging and emerging threats such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). © 2021 Leandro et al. | Animals; Bites and Stings; Brazil; Databases, Factual; Epidemiological Monitoring; Geographic Information Systems; Humans; One Health; Organizations; Vector Borne Diseases; Zoonoses; adoption; Aedes aegypti; Article; Brazil; congenital heart disease; controlled study; disease surveillance; disease transmission; dyspnea; empowerment; endemic disease; human; infection control; mobilization; nonhuman; poisonous animal; public health; Rabies virus; risk factor; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; thorax pain; vaccination; vector borne disease; zoonosis; animal; bites and stings; epidemiological monitoring; factual database; geographic information system; One Health; organization; organization and management; zoonosis |
| Q fever prevention and vaccination: Australian livestock farmers’ knowledge and attitudes to inform a One Health approach | Background: Livestock farmers are at risk of Q fever, a zoonotic disease transmitted to humans from animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. Australia bears substantial Q fever burden, particularly among farmers. A One Health approach engages cross-sectoral collaboration among animal, human and environmental health and is the preferred framework for Q fever prevention. Methods: Cattle, sheep and goat farmers were invited to participate in an online survey in 2019 to gauge perceptions about Q fever and its prevention. Participants were recruited via membership newsletters and social media. Descriptive analyses and logistic regressions were performed. Results: A total of 351 farmers completed the survey. Most respondents (80%) had been farming for ≥20 years, with sheep and beef cattle their primary stock. 71% reported knowledge of Q fever, and 85% identified transmission through contaminated dust inhalation was highly likely. The majority of respondents (97%) were aware of Q fever vaccine, and 95% agreed it was effective in preventing disease, yet 42% remained unvaccinated. Reported barriers to vaccination included poor access to a trained doctor and time and cost related to vaccination. Most farmers (≥91%) believed that subsidized vaccination and improved awareness would promote higher uptake. Conclusion: While Q fever knowledge among respondents was good, their practices related to airborne transmission prevention were poor. Livestock farmers would benefit from adherence to dust and aerosol transmission prevention practices. One Health partnership between government and industry is needed to promote Q fever awareness and address low vaccination rates among livestock farmers by funding vaccination programs. © 2021 The Author(s) | Q fever vaccine; adult; aged; agricultural worker; Article; attitude; Australia; Australian; cross-sectional study; disease transmission; drug efficacy; dust; exposure; female; health survey; human; infection prevention; inhalation; knowledge; livestock; logistic regression analysis; male; Q fever; social media; vaccination; very elderly | Australia; Farmers; Livestock; One Health; Q fever; Vaccination |
| Occurrence and Quantification of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in the Gastrointestinal Microbiome of Two Wild Seabird Species With Contrasting Behaviors | Antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) are environmental pollutants and anthropization indicators. We evaluated human interference in the marine ecosystem through the ocurrence and quantification (real-time PCRs) of 21 plasmid-mediated ARGs in enema samples of 25 wild seabirds, upon admission into rehabilitation: kelp gull (Larus dominicanus, n = 14) and Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus, n = 11). Overall, higher resistance values were observed in kelp gulls (non-migratory coastal synanthropic) in comparison with Magellanic penguins (migratory pelagic non-synanthropic). There were significant differences between species (respectively, kelp gull and Magellanic penguin): ARGs occurrence (blaTEM [p = 0.032]; tetM [p = 0.015]; tetA [p = 0.003]; and sulII [p = 0.007]), mean number of ARGs per sample (p = 0.031), ARGs mean load percentage (aadA [p = 0.045], tetA [p = 0.031], tetM [p = 0.016], blaTEM [p = 0.032], sulII [p = 0.008]), percentage of genes conferring resistance to an antimicrobial class (betalactams [p = 0.036] and sulfonamides [p = 0.033]), mean number of genes conferring resistance to one or more antimicrobial classes (p = 0.024]), percentage of multiresistant microbiomes (p = 0.032), and clustering (p = 0.006). These differences are likely due to these species’ contrasting biology and ecology – key factors in the epidemiology of ARGs in seabirds. Additionally, this is the first report of mecA in seabirds in the Americas. Further studies are necessary to clarify the occurrence and diversity of ARGs in seabirds, and their role as potential sources of infection and dispersal within the One Health chain of ARGs. © Copyright © 2021 Ewbank, Esperón, Sacristán, Sacristán, Neves, Costa-Silva, Antonelli, Rocha Lorenço, Kolesnikovas and Catão-Dias. | aminoglycoside antibiotic agent; antibiotic agent; bacterial DNA; beta lactam; chloramphenicol; enema; macrolide; polymyxin; quinolone; sulfonamide; tetracycline; tetracycline derivative; aad a gene; animal behavior; antibiotic resistance; Article; bacterial gene; bacterial microbiome; beta-lactam resistance; bla tem gene; controlled study; feces analysis; genetic resistance; intestine flora; kelp; Larus dominicanus; marine environment; migrant bird; multidrug resistant bacterium; nonhuman; pelagic species; penguin; plasmid; qualitative analysis; real time polymerase chain reaction; rehabilitation center; seabird; species difference; Spheniscus magellanicus; sul ii gene; tet a gene; tet m gene; Western Hemisphere; wild animal; wildlife | anthropization; antibiotic resistance; gull; marine pollution; One Health; penguin; wildlife |
| Challenges of Rabies Surveillance in the Eastern Amazon: The Need of a One Health Approach to Predict Rabies Spillover | Brazil has been promoting essential improvements in health indicators by implementing free-access health programs, which successfully reduced the prevalence of neglected zoonosis in urban areas, such as rabies. Despite constant efforts from the authorities to monitor and control the disease, sylvatic rabies is a current issue in Amazon’s communities. The inequalities among Amazon areas challenge the expansion of high-tech services and limit the implementation of active laboratory surveillance to effectively avoid outbreaks in human and non-human hosts, which also reproduces a panorama of vulnerability in risk communities. Because rabies is a preventable disease, the prevalence in the particular context of the Amazon area highlights the failure of surveillance strategies to predict spillovers and indicates the need to adapt the public policies to a “One Health” approach. Therefore, this work assesses the distribution of free care resources and facilities among Pará’s regions in the oriental Amazon; and discusses the challenges of implanting One Health in the particular context of the territory. We indicate a much-needed strengthening of the sylvatic and urban surveillance networks to achieve the “Zero by 30” goal, which is inextricable from multilateral efforts to combat the progressive biome’s degradation. © Copyright © 2021 Bastos, Mota, Guimarães, Richard, Lima, Casseb, Barata, Andrade and Casseb. | Animals; Brazil; One Health; Rabies; Rabies virus; Zoonoses; animal; Brazil; One Health; rabies; Rabies virus; zoonosis | Amazon; equity; human rabies; One Health; universality |
| Colistin resistance and esbl production in salmonella and escherichia coli from pigs and pork in the thailand, cambodia, lao pdr, and myanmar border area | The study aimed to examine the prevalence and genetic characteristics of ESBL-production and colistin resistance in Salmonella and Escherichia coli from pigs and pork in the border area among Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar. Salmonella (n = 463) and E. coli (n = 767) isolates were collected from pig rectal swab from slaughterhouses (n = 441) and pork from retail markets (n = 368) during October 2017 and March 2018. All were determined for susceptibility to colistin and cephalosporins, ESBL production and mcr and ESBL genes. Salmonella was predominantly found in Cambodia (65.8%). Serovars Rissen (35.6%) and Anatum (15.3%) were the most common. The E. coli prevalence in pork was above 91% in all countries. Colistin-resistance rate in E. coli (10.4%) was significantly higher than Salmonella (2.6%). ESBL-producing Salmonella (1.9%) and E. coli (6.3%) were detected. The blaCTX-M-55 and blaCTX-M-14 were identified. The mcr-1 gene was detected in Salmonella (n = 12) and E. coli (n = 68). The mcr-1/blaCTX-M-55 and mcr-3/blaCTX-M-55 co-concurrence was observed in one Salmonella and three E. coli isolates, respectively. In conclusion, pigs and pork serve as carriers of colistin and new generation cephalosporins resistance. Testing for resistance to last line antibiotics should be included in national AMR surveillance program using One Health approach. © 2021 by the authors. | ampicillin; antibiotic agent; beta lactamase; cefotaxime; cefpodoxime; ceftazidime; cephalosporin derivative; ciprofloxacin; colistin; erythromycin; extended spectrum beta lactamase; gentamicin; imipenem; penicillinase; tetracycline; animal experiment; animal food; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic sensitivity; Article; Cambodia; cephalosporin resistance; colistin resistance; commensal Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli; genetic trait; Japan; major clinical study; minimum inhibitory concentration; multilocus sequence typing; Myanmar; nonhuman; One Health; pig; pork; prevalence; Salmonella; serotype; Staphylococcus aureus; Thailand; veterinary medicine | Colistin resistance; Escherichia coli; Extended-spectrum B-lactamase; Salmonella; Southeast Asia |
| High prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in pets from COVID-19+ households | In a survey of household cats and dogs of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients, we found a high seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, ranging from 21% to 53%, depending on the positivity criteria chosen. Seropositivity was significantly greater among pets from COVID-19+ households compared to those with owners of unknown status. Our results highlight the potential role of pets in the spread of the epidemic. © 2020 | SARS-CoV-2 antibody; antibody detection; antibody titer; Article; cat; controlled study; coronavirus disease 2019; dog; epidemic; household; human; nonhuman; One Health; pet animal; serodiagnosis; seroprevalence; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; virus neutralization; virus transmission | COVID-19; Luminex; Neutralization assay; One health; Pets; SARS-CoV-2; Seroprevalence |
| Engaging Stakeholders in the Design of One Health Surveillance Systems: A Participatory Approach | Many One Health surveillance systems have proven difficult to enforce and sustain, mainly because of the difficulty of implementing and upholding collaborative efforts for surveillance activities across stakeholders with different values, cultures and interests. We hypothesize that only the early engagement of stakeholders in the development of a One Health surveillance system can create an environment conducive to the emergence of collaborative solutions that are acceptable, accepted and therefore implemented in sustainable manner. To this end, we have designed a socio-technical framework to help stakeholders develop a common vision of their desired surveillance system and to forge the innovation pathway toward it. We implemented the framework in two case studies: the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in Vietnam and that of Salmonella in France. The socio-technical framework is a participatory and iterative process that consists of four distinct steps implemented during a workshop series: (i) definition of the problem to be addressed, (ii) co-construction of a common representation of the current system, (iii) co-construction of the desired surveillance system, (iv) identification of changes and actions required to progress from the current situation to the desired situation. In both case studies, the process allowed surveillance stakeholders with different professional cultures and expectations regarding One Health surveillance to gain mutual understanding and to reconcile their different perspectives to design the pathway toward their common vision of a desired surveillance system. While the proposed framework is structured around four essential steps, its application can be tailored to the context. Workshop facilitation and representativeness of participants are key for the success of the process. While our approach lays the foundation for the further implementation of the desired One Health surveillance system, it provides no guarantee that the proposed actions will actually be implemented and bring about the required changes. The engagement of stakeholders in a participatory process must be sustained in order to ensure the implementation of co-constructed solutions and evaluate their effectiveness and impacts. © Copyright © 2021 Bordier, Goutard, Antoine-Moussiaux, Pham-Duc, Lailler and Binot. | adult; antibiotic resistance; article; bacterium culture; comparative effectiveness; expectation; facilitation; France; health survey; human; nonhuman; One Health; Salmonella; Viet Nam; vision | antimicrobial resistance; co-construction; One Health; participatory; Salmonella; surveillance |
| A qualitative exploratory study using one health approach for developing an intervention package for elimination of human anthrax in an endemic district of odisha, india | Background & objectives: Anthrax is a zoonotic disease of public health concern in India. One of the key predisposing factors is linked to the behaviour of the community. This study was nested within a baseline survey to understand the risk perception, attitude, socio-cultural and behavioural practices among different communities in an anthrax endemic tribal district of Odisha, India. It was aimed to explore the systemic gaps from the officials of different departments while addressing the animal and human anthrax cases and the knowledge, attitude, and behavioural practices among the tribal communities with regards to both animal and human anthrax signs, symptoms, and transmission from animal to human. Methods: A qualitative exploratory study was carried out in the district of Koraput, Odisha. Insights from eight focus group discussions (FGDs) and 42 in-depth-interviews (IDIs) with the stakeholders from health, veterinary, forest, general administrative departments and community were collected and analyzed thematically. Results: Major themes that emerged were inter-departmental coordination, livestock vaccination, surveillance network, laboratory facilities, prevention and control strategies with regards to the animal and human anthrax cases. The study also emphasized setting up the surveillance system as per the standard guidelines, and strengthening the diagnostic facilities for timely detection of confirmed cases. It also highlighted the current needs and the gaps among inter-sectoral coordination, collaboration, and sensitization among Health, Veterinary, Forest, Education, Nutrition, and Tribal Welfare Departments at various levels to reduce the prevalence and control the outbreaks of anthrax in the district and State. Interpretation & conclusions: The coordination gaps, financial burden, insufficient relevant knowledge and information among the concerned stakeholders were the issues found in this study in addition to non-availability of proper diagnostic facility. The coordination among different departments adapting One Health approach may be one of the best possible ways for the elimination of anthrax cases in an endemic region. © 2021 Indian Journal of Medical Research, published by Wolters Kluwer – Medknow for Director-General, Indian Council of Medical Research. | Animals; Anthrax; Humans; India; Livestock; One Health; Zoonoses; adult; anthrax; Article; attitude; behavior; burial; disease surveillance; education; female; health care facility; health care personnel; human; laboratory; livestock; major clinical study; male; meat; nutrition; One Health; pathogen clearance; qualitative research; questionnaire; risk perception; stakeholder engagement; vaccination; veterinary medicine; zoonosis; animal; anthrax; India; zoonosis | Anthrax; Endemic regions; Fdg; One health; Surveillance; Zoonotic disease |
| Lack of evidence that bird feeders are a source of salmonellosis during winter in poland | Bird feeders are known to be a transfer site for many important bird pathogens, such as zoonotic Salmonella spp., known to be widespread among wild birds in Poland. The aim of the study was to investigate (1) whether feeders can be a source of Salmonella spp., (2) whether the risk is the same for feeders located in cities and rural areas and (3) whether there is a different level of contamination with Salmonella spp. between old and new feeders. Data were collected in the period 12 January–28 February 2018 in four cities in Poland and nearby rural areas. In total, 204 feeders were sampled. The samples from feeders were taken after a 2-week period of feeding birds. Material for analysis consisted of the remains of food and feces. We did not find the presence of Salmonella spp. in any of the tested samples collected from bird feeders. Therefore, the estimated value of the 95% confidence interval for the binary data was 0.000–0.018. Reasons for the isolation of Salmonella spp. from feeders not being successful lie in the low intensity of bacterial shedding by infected wild birds and low survival of bacteria in the environment in bird feces—which are still not well studied. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | aquaculture; Article; bacterial shedding; bird; controlled study; Escherichia coli; feces analysis; feed efficiency; nonhuman; prevalence; winter | Epidemiology; One Health; Salmonella; Zoonosis |
| Dissemination of extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing enterobacter cloacae complex from a hospital to the nearby environment in guadeloupe (french west indies): St114 lineage coding for a successful inchi2/st1 plasmid | Wastewater treatment plants are considered hot spots for antibiotic resistance. Most studies have addressed the impact on the aquatic environment, as water is an important source of anthropogenic pollutants. Few investigations have been conducted on terrestrial animals living near treatment ponds. We isolated extendedspectrum- b-lactamase Enterobacter cloacae complex-producing strains from 35 clinical isolates, 29 samples of wastewater, 19 wild animals, and 10 domestic animals living in the hospital sewers and at or near a wastewater treatment plant to study the dissemination of clinically relevant resistance through hospital and urban effluents. After comparison of the antibiotic-resistant profiles of E. cloacae complex strains, a more detailed analysis of 41 whole-genome-sequenced strains demonstrated that the most common sequence type, ST114 (n = 20), was present in human (n=9) and nonhuman (n = 11) samples, with a close genetic relatedness. Whole-genome sequencing confirmed local circulation of this pathogenic lineage in diverse animal species. In addition, nanopore sequencing and specific synteny of an IncHI2/ST1/ blaCTX-M-15 plasmid recovered on the majority of these ST114 clones (n = 18) indicated successful worldwide diffusion of this mobile genetic element. © 2021 Pot et al. | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; beta-Lactamases; Enterobacter cloacae; Enterobacteriaceae Infections; Guadeloupe; Hospitals; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Plasmids; West Indies; amikacin; amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid; ampicillin; beta lactamase CTX M; beta lactamase CTX M 15; cefepime; cefotaxime; cefoxitin; ceftazidime; ceftriaxone; ciprofloxacin; cloxacillin; cotrimoxazole; ertapenem; gentamicin; nalidixic acid; tigecycline; unclassified drug; antiinfective agent; beta lactamase; antibiotic resistance; Article; bacterial genetics; bacterial genome; bacterial strain; bacterial transmission; bacterium contamination; bacterium isolate; bacterium isolation; clone; comparative study; controlled study; domestic animal; effluent; Enterobacter cloacae; Enterobacter cloacae complex clade L; Enterobacter cloacae complex clade N; Enterobacter cloacae complex clade S; Enterobacter hormaechei subsp steigerwaltii; Enterobacter hormaechei subsp xiangfangensis; environment; extended spectrum beta lactamase producing Enterobacter cloacae complex; genetic background; genetic code; genetic similarity; genomic island; Guadeloupe; hospital; human; maximum likelihood method; nanopore sequencing; nonhuman; plasmid; prevalence; priority journal; sewer; single nucleotide polymorphism; synteny; waste water treatment plant; wastewater; whole genome sequencing; wild animal; animal; Caribbean Islands; Enterobacteriaceae infection; genetics; microbial sensitivity test; plasmid | BlaCTX-M-15; Enterobacter cloacae complex; IncHI2; One health; ST114; Wastewater treatment plant; Wildlife |
| Field Attenuation of Foam Earplugs | Background: Hearing protection devices (HPDs) are often used in the workplace to prevent hearing damage caused by noise. However, a factor that can lead to hearing loss in the workplace is improper HPD fitting, and the previous literature has shown that instructing workers on how to properly insert their HPDs can make a significant difference in the degree of attenuation. Methods: Two studies were completed on a total of 33 Hydro One workers. A FitCheck Solo field attenuation estimation system was used to measure the personal attenuation rating (PAR) before and after providing one-on-one fitting instructions. In addition, external ear canal diameters were measured, and a questionnaire with items related to frequency of use, confidence, and discomfort was administered. Results: Training led to an improvement in HPD attenuation, particularly for participants with poorer PARs before training. The questionnaire results indicated that much HPD discomfort is caused by heat, humidity, and communication difficulties. External ear canal asymmetry did not appear to significantly influence the measured PAR. Conclusion: In accordance with the previous literature, our studies suggest that one-on-one instruction is an effective training method for HPD use. Addressing discomfort issues from heat, humidity, and communication issues could help to improve the use of HPDs in the workplace. Further research into the effects of canal asymmetry on the PAR is needed. © 2020 The Authors | adult; Article; auditory threshold; controlled study; convenience sample; data analysis software; external auditory canal; female; hearing impairment; human; human experiment; male; normal human; One Health; questionnaire; sound pressure; workplace | Fitting instructions; Hearing protection devices; HPD discomfort; Personal attenuation rating; Workplace safety |
| What is the impact of snakebite envenoming on domestic animals? A nation-wide community-based study in Nepal and Cameroon | Snakebite envenoming is a life-threatening disease in humans and animals and a major public health issue in rural communities of South-East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Yet the impact of snakebite on domestic animals has been poorly studied. This study aimed to describe the context, clinical features, treatment, and outcomes of snakebite envenoming in domestic animals in Nepal and Cameroon. Primary data on snakebite in animals were recorded from a community-based nation-wide survey on human and animal snakebite in Nepal and Cameroon (Snake-byte project). Mobile teams collected data on snakebite in humans and animals in 13,879 and 10,798 households in Nepal and Cameroon respectively from December 2018 to June 2019. This study included 405 snakebite cases (73 in Nepal and 332 in Cameroon) in multiple types of animals. An interview with a structured questionnaire collected specific information about the animal victims. Snake bites in animals took place predominantly inside and around the house or farm in Nepal (92%) and Cameroon (71%). Other frequent locations in Cameroon were field or pasture (12%). A large diversity of clinical features was reported in all types of envenomed animals. They showed either a few clinical signs (e.g., local swelling, bleeding) or a combination of multiple clinical signs. Only 9% of animal victims, mainly cattle and buffaloes and less frequently goats, sheep, and dogs, received treatment, predominantly with traditional medicine. The overall mortality of snakebite was 85% in Nepal and 87% in Cameroon. Results from this nationwide study show an important impact of snakebite on animal health in Nepal and Cameroon. There is a need for cost-effective prevention control strategies and affordable snakebite therapies in the veterinary field to save animal lives and farmer livelihood in the poorest countries of the world. The WHO global strategy to prevent and control snakebite envenoming supports a One Health approach, which may help develop integrated solutions to the snakebite problem taking into account human and animal health. © 2021 The Authors | antibiotic agent; snake venom; snake venom antiserum; Article; bleeding; bloodletting; death; envenomation; health care policy; hospital cost; human; hypersalivation; lethargy; mortality; nonhuman; paralysis; questionnaire; snakebite; swelling; treatment outcome; victim | Antivenom; Community-based survey; Ethno-veterinary medicine; Livestock; One Health; Snakebite |
| Finding what is inaccessible: Antimicrobial resistance language use among the one health domains | The success of a One Health approach to combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) requires effective data sharing across the three One Health domains (human, animal, and environment). To investigate if there are differences in language use across the One Health domains, we examined the peer-reviewed literature using a combination of text data mining and natural language processing techniques on 20,000 open-access articles related to AMR and One Health. Evaluating AMR key term frequency from the European PubMed Collection published between 1990 and 2019 showed distinct AMR language usage within each domain and incongruent language usage across domains, with significant differences in key term usage frequencies when articles were grouped by the One Health sub-specialties (2-way ANOVA; p < 0.001). Over the 29-year period, “antibiotic resistance” and “AR” were used 18 times more than “antimicrobial resistance” and “AMR”. The discord of language use across One Health potentially weakens the effectiveness of interdisciplinary research by creating accessibility issues for researchers using search engines. This research was the first to quantify this disparate language use within One Health, which inhibits collaboration and crosstalk between domains. We suggest the following for authors publishing AMR-related research within the One Health context: (1) increase title/abstract searchability by including both antimicrobial and antibiotic resistance related search terms; (2) include “One Health” in the title/abstract; and (3) prioritize open-access publication. © 2021 by the authors. | antibiotic resistance; Article; Influenza A virus (H1N1); Medline; natural language processing; nonhuman; One Health | AMR; Animal; Antibiotic resistance; Antimicrobial resistance; AR; Common language; Environment; Human; Natural language processing; One health; Text data mining |
| Operationalising One Health in Nigeria: Reflections From a High-Level Expert Panel Discussion Commemorating the 2020 World Antibiotics Awareness Week | Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses an important One Health challenge for all countries of the world. As human, animal and environmental health are closely linked, it is essential that interventions targeted at reducing the spread of AMR and those promoting antimicrobial stewardship are conducted with all sectors in mind. Tackling this global slow-moving pandemic (AMR) also requires action and strong commitment from all countries of the world. Nigeria, like many other countries, have made considerable progress in implementing the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance. The accomplishments and ongoing work led by the National Technical Working Group on AMR is commendable. However, gaps still exist in terms of operationalising One Health interventions for AMR, especially regarding rational antimicrobial use and antimicrobial stewardship. The 2020 World Antimicrobial Awareness Week presented an opportunity to convene a multi-sectoral expert panel from national government agencies, research, academia and the World Health Organisation across the Nigerian One Health space. The panel discussion analysed the progress made so far and identified the barriers and the opportunities for operationalising One Health interventions on AMR. The discussion highlighted poor awareness and the fear phenomenon, driven by technical and socio-economic factors, as a common cross-sectoral denominator at the heart of inappropriate antibiotic use within the country. At the system level, suboptimal use of antimicrobials fuelled by the ease of purchase, poor regulations and insufficient enforcement of prescription-only access to antimicrobials, and limited infection prevention and biosecurity measures resonated as drivers of AMR across One Health sectors in Nigeria. Looking forward, the panel discussion identified substantial investment in the governance of the existing One Health component structures, inclusive bottom-up institutional antimicrobial stewardship that fosters community participation and multi-level cross-sectoral collaborations as the next level strategic imperatives. In this respect is the need for a strengthened One Health infrastructure, including an operational workforce, educational strategies to elevate AMR and rational antimicrobial use into public consciousness, and the use of improved data systems as countermeasures to the challenge of AMR. © Copyright © 2021 Achi, Ayobami, Mark, Egwuenu, Ogbolu and Kabir. | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antimicrobial Stewardship; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Humans; Nigeria; One Health; antiinfective agent; animal; antibiotic resistance; antimicrobial stewardship; human; Nigeria; One Health | antimicrobial resistance; antimicrobial stewardship; health system; one health; rational usage; sub-Sahara Africa |
| Surface waters and urban brown rats as potential sources of human-infective cryptosporidium and giardia in Vienna, Austria | Cryptosporidium and Giardia are waterborne protozoa that cause intestinal infections in a wide range of warm-blooded animals. Human infections vary from asymptomatic to life-threatening in immunocompromised people, and can cause growth retardation in children. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence and diversity of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in urban surface water and in brown rats trapped in the center of Vienna, Austria, using molecular methods, and to subsequently identify their source and potential transmission pathways. Out of 15 water samples taken from a side arm of the River Danube, Cryptosporidium and Giardia (oo)cysts were detected in 60% and 73% of them, with concentrations ranging between 0.3–4 oocysts/L and 0.6–96 cysts/L, respectively. Cryptosporidium and Giardia were identified in 13 and 16 out of 50 rats, respectively. Eimeria, a parasite of high veterinary importance, was also identified in seven rats. Parasite co-ocurrence was detected in nine rats. Rat-associated genotypes did not match those found in water, but matched Giardia previously isolated from patients with diarrhea in Austria, bringing up a potential role of rats as sources or reservoirs of zoonotic pathogenic Giardia. Following a One Health approach, molecular typing across potential animal and environmental reservoirs and human cases gives an insight into environmental transmission pathways and therefore helps design efficient surveillance strategies and relevant outbreak responses. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | Brown rats; Cryptosporidium; Eimeria; Giardia; One Health; Rattus norvegicus; Zoonosis |
| Novel human antibodies to insulin growth factor 2 receptor (Igf2r) for radioimmunoimaging and therapy of canine and human osteosarcoma | Etiological and genetic drivers of osteosarcoma (OS) are not well studied and vary from one tumor to another; making it challenging to pursue conventional targeted therapy. Recent studies have shown that cation independent mannose-6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor-2 receptor (IGF2R) is consistently overexpressed in almost all of standard and patient-derived OS cell lines, making it an ideal therapeutic target for development of antibody-based drugs. Monoclonal antibodies, targeting IGF2R, can be conjugated with alpha-or beta-emitter radionuclides to deliver cytocidal doses of radiation to target IGF2R expression in OS. This approach known as radioimmunotherapy (RIT) can therefore be developed as a novel treatment for OS. In addition, OS is one of the common cancers in companion dogs and very closely resembles human OS in clinical presentation and molecular aberrations. In this study, we have developed human antibodies that cross-react with similar affinities to IGF2R proteins of human, canine and murine origin. We used naïve and synthetic antibody Fab-format phage display libraries to develop antibodies to a conserved region on IGF2R. The generated antibodies were radiolabeled and characterized in vitro and in vivo using human and canine OS patient-derived tumors in SCID mouse models. We demonstrate specific binding to IGF2R and tumor uptake in these models, as well as binding to tumor tissue of canine OS patients, making these antibodies suitable for further development of RIT for OS. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | antineoplastic agent; antineoplastic monoclonal antibody; immunoglobulin F(ab) fragment; indium 111; monoclonal antibody 2G11; monoclonal antibody IF1; monoclonal antibody IF1 in 111; monoclonal antibody IF3; monoclonal antibody IF3 in 111; palivizumab; radioisotope; radiopharmaceutical agent; somatomedin B receptor; unclassified drug; animal cell; animal experiment; animal model; animal tissue; antigen binding; antineoplastic activity; Article; binding affinity; cancer diagnosis; cancer immunotherapy; controlled study; cytotoxicity; diagnostic imaging; dog; drug binding; drug clearance; drug design; drug distribution; drug screening; drug targeting; female; human; human cell; in vitro study; in vivo study; mouse; nonhuman; osteosarcoma; pet animal; phage display; protein expression; radioimmunoimaging; radioimmunotherapy; radiolabeling; radiological procedures; SCID mouse; single photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography | Antibody engineering; IGF2R; M6PR; One-health; Osteosarcoma; Phage-display; Radioimmunotherapy; Targeted radionuclide therapy |
| Identification of a Cluster of Extended-spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Sequence Type 101 Isolated from Food and Humans | We report a cluster of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 101, derived from 1 poultry and 2 clinical samples collected within the setting of a prospective study designed to determine the diversity and migration of ESBL-producing Enterobacterales between humans, foodstuffs, and wastewater. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. | Anti-Bacterial Agents; beta-Lactamases; Escherichia coli; Humans; Klebsiella Infections; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Prospective Studies; fosfomycin; trimethoprim; antiinfective agent; beta lactamase; Article; bacterium identification; bacterium isolation; clinical article; controlled study; extended spectrum beta lactamase producing Klebsiella pneumoniae; food; human; microbial diversity; nonhuman; poultry; prospective study; Escherichia coli; genetics; Klebsiella infection; Klebsiella pneumoniae; microbial sensitivity test | ESBL; Klebsiella pneumoniae; One Health; poultry; sequence type 101 |
| Non-clinical factors determining the prescription of antibiotics by veterinarians: A systematic review | The misuse of antibiotics in humans, animals, and plants is related to the spread of resistant antibiotic strains among humans and animals. In this paper, we carry out a bibliographic search of Medline, Web of Knowledge, and Cab Abstracts with the main objective of ascertaining the available evidence on non-clinical factors and attitudes that could influence the prescription of antibiotics by veterinarians. A total of 34 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Whereas, veterinary health professionals’ prescribing habits did not appear to be influenced by their socio-demographic characteristics, they were influenced by different attitudes, such as fear (identified in 19 out of 34 studies), self-confidence (19/34), business factors (19/34), and by complacency (16/34). Certain owner-related factors, such as lack of awareness (16/34) and demand for antibiotics (12/34), were also important, as were concurrent factors, ranging from a lack of appropriate regulations (10/34) to the expense and delays involved in performing culture and sensitivity tests (10/34) and inadequate farm hygiene (8/34). Our results appear to indicate that the non-clinical factors are potentially modifiable. This may be useful for designing interventions targeted at improving antibiotic use in animals, as part of an overall strategy to reduce the global spread of multi-resistant strains. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | antibiotic agent; agricultural worker; animal behavior; animal health; antibiotic resistance; antimicrobial stewardship; Article; attitude; awareness; commercial phenomena; enteropathy; fear; female; health practitioner; human; hygiene; immunity; infection control; interview; job experience; livestock; male; nonhuman; occupation; pet animal; prescription; quality control; questionnaire; systematic review; training; udder; veterinarian | Animal health; Antibiotic prescription; Antibiotic resistance; Antibiotic stewardship; Infection control; One health; Veterinarians |
| Insight into one health approach: Endoparasite infections in captive wildlife in Bangladesh | Introduction: Endoparasites in captive wildlife might pose a threat to public health; how-ever, very few studies have been conducted on this issue, and much remains to be learned, especially in limited‐resource settings. This study aimed to investigate endoparasites of captive wildlife in Bangladesh. Perception and understanding of veterinarians regarding one health and zoonoses were also assessed. Materials and Methods: A cross‐sectional study was conducted from October 2019 to August 2020. A total of 45 fecal samples from 18 different species of wild animals (i.e., 11 species of mammals: herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores, six birds, and a single reptile species) were collected randomly. Parasitological assessments were done by modified formalin ether sedimenta-tion technique and rechecked by Sheather’s sugar floatation technique. Molecular identification of Spirometra spp. was conducted by amplifying the cytochrome c oxidase 1 (cox1) gene. Questionnaire surveys among 15 veterinarians and an in‐depth interview (IDI) with a zoo officer were conducted. Results: Helminths (Spirometra sp., Capillaria sp., Ascaridia/Heterakis, opisthorchiid, strongyles, ac-uariid, hookworms, roundworms, and unidentified nematode larvae) and protozoa (coccidian oo-cyst) were identified, and the overall prevalence was 48.9% (22/45). The cox1 sequences (341 bp) of the Bangladesh‐origin Spirometra species from lion showed 99.3–99.7% similarity to the reference sequences of Spirometra decipiens (GenBank No: KJ599679.1; MT122766). The majority of study par-ticipants (86.6%) agreed about the importance of endoparasite control in zoo animals, and 73.3% expressed that the one health concept should be promoted in Bangladesh. Only 6.7% of veterinarians perceived confidence in diagnosing parasitic diseases and preventing antiparasiticidal re-sistance. Conclusions: In the present survey, we found a considerable prevalence of endoparasites in captive wildlife. For the first time, zoonotically important S. decipiens from lion was molecularly characterized in Bangladesh. Veterinarian training is required to improve parasite control knowledge and practice. This study highlights the need for routine parasitological assessment, pro-motion of one health, and improvement of the implementation of current parasite control strategies in zoo animals. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | cyclooxygenase 1; cytochrome c oxidase; Article; Ascaridia; Baylisascaris; Capillaria; cross-sectional study; DNA extraction; DNA sequencing; Eimeria; feces analysis; nonhuman; parasitosis; phylogenetic tree; polymerase chain reaction; prevalence; sequence alignment; Spirometra; Toxocara; veterinarian; wildlife | Bangladesh; Captive wildlife; Endoparasites; One health; Spirometra decipiens |
| Community Based Assessment of Behavior and Awareness of Risk Factors of Cystic Echinococcosis in Major Cities of Pakistan: A One Health Perspective | Background: The parasitic disease, cystic echinococcosis (CE), is a serious health problem in Pakistan. Risk of disease transmission is increased by economic and political instability, poor living conditions, and limited awareness of hygienic practices. The current study aimed to investigate the community perception and awareness regarding the risk factors of CE in Pakistan, from a One Health perspective. Methods: We conducted a community-based survey involving 454 participants in the major cities of Pakistan. Quantitative data based on knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP), the One Health concept, risk factors, and community perception of CE among the general population of the major cities of Pakistan were collected. The questions included those related to knowledge, attitude, practices, One Health concept, risk factors, and community perception. The Chi-squared test was applied to determine the associations regarding KAPs across socio-demographic parameters. Results: KAPs had no significant associations with sociodemographic aspects such as age, sex, religion, ethnicity, education, marital status, occupation, or financial status of the participants. The findings indicated a lack of awareness about CE among the participants. Respondents were unaware of the risk factors and the One Health concept of CE. However, the community attitude and perception were positive toward the control of CE. Conclusion: Illiteracy, deficient sanitation systems and lack of awareness are the contributing factors to CE in Pakistan. It is necessary to make the community aware regarding CE and its importance. Increasing this awareness represents an important step toward the eradication and control of CE. © Copyright © 2021 Khan, Ahmed, Amjad, Afzal, Haider, Simsek, Khawaja, Khan, Naz, Durrance-Bagale, Shabbir, Arfeen, Ali and Cao. | Cities; Echinococcosis; Humans; One Health; Pakistan; Risk Factors; city; echinococcosis; human; One Health; Pakistan; risk factor | community perception; cystic echinococcosis; one health concept; Pakistan; risk factors |
| A one health approach to defining animal and human helminth exposure risks in a tribal village in Southern India | The high burden of soil-transmitted helminth infections has been studied in India; however, little data exist on zoonotic helminths, and on animal-associated exposure to soil-transmitted helminths. Our study took place in the Jawadhu Hills, which is a tribal region in Tamil Nadu, India. Using a One Health approach, we included animal and environmental samples and human risk factors to answer questions about the associations among infected household soil, domestic animals, and human risk factors. Helminth eggs were identified by microscopy in animal and soil samples, and a survey about risk factors was administered to the head of the household. Contact with animals was reported in 71% of households. High levels of helminth infections were found across domestic animal species, especially in goats, chickens, and dogs. Helminth eggs were recorded in 44% of household soil (n = 43/97) and separately in 88% of soil near a water source (n = 28/32). Animal contact was associated with 4.05 higher odds of having helminth eggs in the household soil (P = 0.01), and also having a water source at the household was associated with a 0.33 lower odds of having helminth eggs in the household soil (P = 0.04). Soil moisture was a mediator of this association with a significant indirect effect (P < 0.001). The proportion mediated was 0.50. While our work does not examine transmission, these results support consideration of animal-associated exposure to STH and potentially zoonotic helminths in future interventions to reduce helminth burden. Our study provides support for further investigation of the effects of animals and animal fecal matter on human health. Copyright © 2021 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene | Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Animals; Cestoda; Child; Child, Preschool; Epidemiological Monitoring; Feces; Female; Helminthiasis; Humans; India; Indigenous Peoples; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Male; Middle Aged; One Health; Parasite Egg Count; Population Surveillance; Risk Factors; Soil; Water; Young Adult; Zoonoses; water; adolescent; adult; aged; animal contact; animal risk factor; Article; chicken; child; disease association; disease burden; disease transmission; dog; domestic animal; ecological phenomena and functions; environmental factor; environmental health; exposure; female; geographic distribution; goat; helminth; helminthiasis; hookworm; household; human; India; infection risk; major clinical study; male; microscopy; nonhuman; One Health; parasite load; risk assessment; risk factor; sampling; social status; soil analysis; soil moisture; soil transmitted helminth; Strongyloidea; Strongyloides; Trichuris; water supply; worm egg; animal; cestode; epidemiological monitoring; feces; health survey; helminthiasis; infant; intestine infection; isolation and purification; middle aged; newborn; One Health; parasite egg count; parasitology; preschool child; risk factor; soil; very elderly; young adult; zoonosis |
| Anisakis allergy: unjustified social alarm versus healthy diet; commentary to the “Letter to the Editor” of Drs Daschner, Levsen, Cipriani, and del Hoyo, referencing to “World-wide prevalence of Anisakis larvae in fish and its relationship to human allergic anisakiasis: a systematic review” | Anisakiasis is an underrecognized condition globally, and accurate diagnosis remains problematic even in countries where the condition is well known. Our “systematic review” was conducted according to Prisma guidelines. The stated basis of our study was “syndromic surveillance.” Both methods are recognized in published literature as valid to identify or predict disease and to make accessible large amounts of evidence from published literature. Our study identified Anisakis allergy “hot spots” and other geographical areas where fish are highly infected with Anisakis without commensurate studies of human allergy. Results of our study will open up new lines of enquiry. Norway, used as an example to discredit the scientific integrity of our article, has a cuisine thriving with raw fish dishes and many sushi restaurants. The peer reviewed data sets, confirmed A. simplex sensitization among the Norwegian population, although this has been overlooked by the authors of the “Letter to the Editor.” The identification of hot spots in our study may be influential in many ways not the least in raising diagnostic suspicion to expedite accurate diagnosis. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE part of Springer Nature. | Animals; Anisakiasis; Anisakis; Diet, Healthy; Fishes; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Larva; Norway; Prevalence; Seafood; allergy; anisakiasis; Anisakis simplex; Article; food safety; healthy diet; human; nonhuman; Norway; One Health; priority journal; raw food; sashimi; sea food; sensitization; sushi; animal; Anisakis; fish; hypersensitivity; larva; prevalence | Misdiagnosis; One-health; Seafood safety |
| Comparison of Clostridioides difficile strains from animals and humans: First results after introduction of C. difficile molecular typing and characterization at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Italy | PCR ribotypes (RTs027 and 078) are known causes of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in humans. Molecular typing and characterization of 39 C. difficile strains isolated from samples from humas and animals in 2016–2018 indicated an overlap of RTs between community-acquired patients (CA-CDI) and domestic animals from the same geographical area; 14 RTs were identified: 12 RTs were positive for toxins A/B; RT078, RT080 and RT126 were also positive for binary toxin (CDT). Most of the RTs from the animals (RTs020, 078, 106, 126) were also detected in the samples from humans. Strains grouped into three clusters: cluster I included prevalently human strains, mainly RT 018; clusters II and III included strains from humans and animals, mainly RT078 and RT020. The CA-CDI strains suggested animals as a reservoir of C. difficile isolated together with other microorganisms from animals, highlighting the association of enteric pathogens as a cause of infection and death. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd | Animals; Clostridioides; Clostridioides difficile; Clostridium Infections; Humans; Italy; Molecular Typing; Ribotyping; bacterial toxin; aged; Article; bacterial strain; bacterium isolation; bovine; Clostridioides difficile; community acquired infection; comparative study; controlled study; dog; geography; human; Italy; molecular characterization; molecular typing; nonhuman; One Health; piglet; polymerase chain reaction; prevalence; ribotyping; sheep; animal; Clostridium infection; genetics; molecular typing; veterinary medicine | Clostridioides difficile; Molecular characterization; One Health; PCR-ribotyping |
| The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Food Consumers’ Awareness of Antimicrobial Resistance, OneHealth, and Animal Welfare Information on Food Labels | Covid-19 is a OneHealth crisis with far-reaching and unexpected impacts on many aspects of society. Previous OneHealth issues, such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), have not received a similar level of attention or action from the public despite representing significant public health and economic threats to society. The current study aimed to explore whether the Covid-19 pandemic may act as a catalyst to increase public awareness related to OneHealth issues, in particular, AMR. This short paper presents overview findings from a survey carried out in September 2020 with a representative sample of food consumers on the island of Ireland (n = 972). The survey revealed Covid-19 had increased awareness of AMR amongst 47% of respondents; increased awareness of connected animal and human health amongst 43% of respondents; and increased awareness of animal welfare information on food labels amongst 34% of respondents. A cluster analysis revealed five distinct consumer segments impacted differently by Covid-19. These segments differed in their levels of objective and subjective knowledge of antibiotic use practises in farming, AMR risk perception, and attributions of responsibility for action on AMR. Findings are discussed with respect to future efforts by the agri-food sector to communicate with the public about AMR and responsible antibiotic use in farming, with particular emphasis on the implications for strategies that incorporate front-of-pack labelling. © Copyright © 2021 Regan, Sweeney, McKernan, Benson, Hyland and Dean. | agricultural worker; animal welfare; antibiotic resistance; Article; cluster analysis; consumer attitude; coronavirus disease 2019; cross-sectional study; food packaging; health survey; human; Ireland; major clinical study; One Health; pandemic; risk perception | antibiotics; antimicrobial resistance; consumer behaviour; COVID-19; food choice; labelling |
| The occurrence and abundance of infective stages of zoonotic nematodes in selected edible fish sold in Australian fish markets | Seafood is nutritious and a healthy source of proteins and its regular consumption is highly recommended by medical professionals and dieticians. Owing to this, the global consumption of seafood per capita has been significantly increasing since the 1960s. Consequently, seafood-borne pathogens, including parasites, have also become more widely known and recognised. In Australia, a vast island country, information about such parasites is extremely limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and abundance of zoonotic parasites, including anisakid nematodes, in selected Australian edible fish. Four species of fish, namely tiger flathead, Platycephalus richardsoni (n = 43), blue mackerel, Scomber australasicus (n = 117), snapper, Pagrus auratus (n = 11) and school whiting, Sillago flindersi (n = 90) were purchased from a fish market. Although a range of parasites was found, due to their significance for human health, the focus of this study was on nematodes whose infectious stage was found in these fish. The prevalence of nematodes in these fish species was 86.05%, 64.10%, 45.45% and 56.67%, respectively. Among the parasites found, Anisakis spp., Contracaecum spp. and Hysterothylacium spp. in tiger flathead, blue mackerel and school whiting, might be of zoonotic importance. Our findings suggest there is a need to revise current seafood safety protocols and develop educational campaigns for seafood industries stakeholders. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd | Animals; Anisakis; Ascaridoidea; Australia; Fish Diseases; Fishes; Humans; Larva; Seafood; Anisakis; article; Australia; Contracaecum; fish market; human; Hysterothylacium; major clinical study; nonhuman; Pagrus; parasite; parasitology; prevalence; tiger; animal; Ascaridoidea; fish; fish disease; larva; sea food | Environment health; Medical parasitology; One-health; Seafood safety |
| Plant chemistry and food web health | Plants are systemically relevant to our planet not only by constituting a major part of its biomass, but also because they produce a vast diversity of bioactive phytochemicals. These compounds often modulate interactions between plants and the environment, and can have substantial effects on plant consumers and their health. By taking a food web perspective, we highlight the role of bioactive phytochemicals in linking soils, plants, animals and humans and discuss their contributions to systems health. The analysis of connections among food web components revealed an underexplored potential of phytochemicals to optimize food web health and productivity. © 2021 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2021 New Phytologist Foundation | Animals; Food Chain; Phytochemicals; Plants; phytochemical; food web; numerical model; optimization; phytochemistry; animal; food chain; plant | benzoxazinoids; food web; glucosinolates; One Health; phytochemicals |
| One health approach for elimination of human anthrax in a tribal district of Odisha: Study protocol | Background Anthrax is a major but neglected zoonotic disease of public health concern in India with Odisha contributing a major share to the disease burden. Bacillus anthracis spores can be found naturally in soil and commonly affect both animals and humans around the world. Domestic and wild animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, and deer can become infected when they inhale or ingest spores from contaminated soil, plants, or water. Anthrax can be fatal if patients are not treated promptly with antibiotics. This protocol aims to describe the implementation and evaluation of the ‘One Health’ intervention model based on the principles of Theory of Change (ToC) to eliminate human anthrax from a tribal district in Odisha, India. Methods This study would test the effectiveness of a complex public health intervention package developed using the ToC framework for the elimination of human anthrax in Koraput district by a comparative analysis of baseline and end-line data. We plan to enroll 2640 adults across 14 geographically divided blocks in Koraput district of Odisha for baseline and end-line surveys. After baseline, we would provide capacity building training to stakeholders from the department of health, veterinary, forest, academic and allied health institutions followed by workshops on sensitization and awareness through IEC (Information Education Communication)/BCC (Behavior Change Communication) activities in the community. We would establish a state-level laboratory facility as a robust system for timely diagnosis and management of human anthrax cases. Surveillance network will be strengthened to track the cases in early stage and risk zoning will be done for focused surveillance in endemic areas. Advocacy with district level administration will be done for maximizing the coverage of livestock vaccination in the entire district. Interdepartmental coordination would be established for the effective implementation of the intervention package. Conclusion This would be a first study applying One Health concept for the elimination of human anthrax in India. The findings from this study will offer important insights for policy-making and further replication in other endemic regions of the state and country. © 2021 Bhattacharya et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. | Adult; Animals; Anthrax; Bacillus anthracis; Disease Outbreaks; Female; Humans; India; Livestock; Male; One Health; Public Health; Vaccination; Zoonoses; adult; agriculture; allied health education; anthrax; Article; awareness; clinical effectiveness; clinical evaluation; clinical protocol; community; comparative study; conceptual framework; controlled study; cost benefit analysis; disease burden; disease surveillance; endemic disease; forest; geographic distribution; health care planning; human; India; laboratory; livestock; major clinical study; One Health; prevalence; public health; sensitization; training; vaccination; veterinary medicine; workshop; young adult; zoonotic transmission; animal; anthrax; Bacillus anthracis; epidemic; female; male; microbiology; One Health; pathogenicity; procedures; zoonosis |
| Practices in research, surveillance and control of neglected tropical diseases by one health approaches: A survey targeting scientists from french-speaking countries | One health (OH) approaches have increasingly been used in the last decade in the fight against zoonotic neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). However, descriptions of such collaborations between the human, animal and environmental health sectors are still limited for French-speaking tropical countries. The objective of the current survey was to explore the diversity of OH experiences applied to research, surveillance and control of NTDs by scientists from French-speaking countries, and discuss their constraints and benefits. Six zoonotic NTDs were targeted: echinococcoses, trypanosomiases, leishmaniases, rabies, Taenia solium cysticercosis and leptospiroses. Invitations to fill in an online questionnaire were sent to members of francophone networks on NTDs and other tropical diseases. Results from the questionnaire were discussed during an international workshop in October 2019. The vast majority (98%) of the 171 respondents considered OH approaches relevant although only 64% had implemented them. Among respondents with OH experience, 58% had encountered difficulties mainly related to a lack of knowledge, interest and support for OH approaches by funding agencies, policy-makers, communities and researchers. Silos between disciplines and health sectors were still strong at both scientific and operational levels. Benefits were reported by 94% of respondents with OH experience, including increased intellectual stimulation, stronger collaborations, higher impact and cost-efficiency of interventions. Recommendations for OH uptake included advocacy, capacity-building, dedicated funding, and higher communities’ involvement. Improved research coordination by NTD networks, production of combined human-animal health NTD impact indicators, and transversal research projects on diagnostic and reservoirs were also considered essential. © 2021 Molia et al. | Animals; Biomedical Research; Humans; Neglected Diseases; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tropical Medicine; Zoonoses; Article; clinical practice; cysticercosis; decision making; disease control; disease surveillance; disease transmission; echinococcosis; funding; health care policy; human; human experiment; knowledge; Leishmania; leishmaniasis; Leptospira; leptospirosis; medical decision making; medical research; One Health; perception; questionnaire; rabies; stakeholder engagement; Taenia solium; tropical disease; trypanosomiasis; vaccination; workshop; animal; neglected disease; tropical medicine; zoonosis |
| Increasing rabies data availability: The example of a One Health research project in Chad, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali | Rabies is a fatal but preventable disease that remains notoriously underreported. Weak data availability hampers advocacy, constitutes a barrier to resource allocation and inhibits effective prevention and control. To gain better insight into the global rabies burden and human vaccine demand several studies were funded through the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) learning agenda. With the help of this funding, Swiss TPH and local in country partner organizations implemented a One Health research project in Chad, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali to collect data at household, public health facility and veterinary level. This paper describes the implementation of this research project and evaluates its success on amount of information gained, achieved capacity building, impact on knowledge creation and influence on national and international policies. The project was based on the One Health concept and guided by the principles of transboundary research partnerships formulated by the Swiss Academy of Sciences. Data was collected on bite incidents and health seeking from over 24’000 households, on access to treatment of over 8’800 bite cases registered in public health facilities and on the status of over 1’800 rabies suspect animals. Selected country specific datasets have contributed to more than 10 scientific articles so far. On the international level, the multi-level data collection provided a unique set of indicators to inform, along with results from other studies, new WHO rabies immunization recommendations and a vaccine investment case scenario to prevent human rabies. New rabies burden estimates based on the data gathered are published for Mali and will be modelled for the whole West and Central African region. On the national level, the project facilitated communication between animal health and human health workers catalyzing creation of local and national committees and formulation of national action plans for Mali and Côte D’Ivoire. Major challenges arose from lack of data collection and documentation experience of human health and veterinary workers and weak infrastructural capacities of the veterinary and human health systems of the project countries. Through adherence to the principles of transboundary research partnerships, project team members acquired valuable research and networking skills despite language barriers, enabling them to play key roles in the future agenda towards national, regional and global canine rabies elimination. Project external collaborations with local public institutions was facilitated through long-term local partnerships. Both factors enabled success in project implementation and outcomes by identifying and mitigating risks in advance, resolving challenges amiably and enabling mutual knowledge creation as a fructuous ground for sustained commitment. Lack of immediate follow-up funding did not allow to maintain activities beyond the project timeframe. However, the national and international policy changes triggered, as well as the strengthened local disease control and research capacities provides sustainable basis for the elimination of dog transmitted human rabies. © 2020 | Animals; Chad; Cote d’Ivoire; Dogs; Humans; Mali; One Health; Rabies; Rabies Vaccines; Vaccination; Chad; Cote d’Ivoire; Mali; rabies immunoglobulin; rabies vaccine; rabies vaccine; data set; disease control; disease transmission; health care; health services; rabies; research; Article; Canis; Central Africa; cost; disease burden; dog bite; experience; follow up; health care; health care facility; health care personnel; health care policy; household; human; immunization; incidence; Mali; medical research; nonhuman; patient compliance; public health; rabies; register; risk factor; veterinary medicine; World Health Organization; animal; Chad; Cote d’Ivoire; dog; immunology; One Health; rabies; vaccination | Africa; One Health; Rabies; South-South-North partnership; Translational research |
| Zoonotic enteric parasites in mongolian people, animals, and the environment: Using one health to address shared pathogens | Background Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis are important zoonotic enteric pathogens of One Health concern for humans, animals, and the environment. For this study, we investigated parasite prevalence and risk factors among rural, peri-urban, and urban households and environments of Mongolia. Methods This cross-sectional study implemented a household risk factor survey at 250 home sites along with sample collection from humans, animals, flies, and drinking water. Multiplex realtime PCR analysis was conducted to look for Cryptosporidium spp. and/or Giardia duodenalis within household samples. Results Lab analysis found one or both zoonotic parasites at 20% of the participating households (51/250). Human samples had a parasite prevalence of 6.4% (27/419), domestic animals at 3.3% (19/570), pooled filth flies at 14.8% (17/115), and drinking water samples at 2% (5/ 250). Parasite presence at the household was significantly associated with a household’s use of an improved drinking water source (OR 0.27; CI 0.12–0.61; p = < 0.01), having an indoor handwashing site (OR 0.41; CI 0.19–0.92; p = 0.03), domestic animal ownership (OR 2.40; CI 1.02–5.65; p = 0.05), and rural location (OR 0.50; CI 0.25–0.98; p = 0.04). Household use of an improved drinking water source remained significant in the multivariate model (OR 0.16; CI 0.04–0.68; p = 0.01). Conclusion In Mongolia, public and veterinary health are intertwined, particularly for rural herding households. Increased access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure could help prevent further transmission of zoonotic enteric parasites. Public health interventions, policy and messaging should utilize a One Health framework employing joint leadership from local human and animal health sectors. © 2021 Barnes et al. | Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Animals, Domestic; Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cryptosporidiosis; Cryptosporidium; Drinking Water; Feces; Female; Giardia lamblia; Giardiasis; Housing; Humans; Hygiene; Livestock; Male; Middle Aged; Mongolia; One Health; Young Adult; Zoonoses; drinking water; adult; agricultural worker; Article; cross-sectional study; Cryptosporidium; disease transmission; DNA extraction; domestic animal; environmental health; feces analysis; female; Giardia intestinalis; global positioning system; hand washing; household; human; human experiment; male; Mongolian (people); multiplex real time polymerase chain reaction; nonhuman; parasite; parasite identification; parasite prevalence; public health; sanitation; Trichuris trichiura; veterinary medicine; water supply; zoonosis; adolescent; animal; child; cryptosporidiosis; Cryptosporidium; feces; genetics; Giardia intestinalis; giardiasis; housing; hygiene; isolation and purification; livestock; middle aged; Mongolia; One Health; parasitology; preschool child; young adult; zoonosis |
| Weknowledge, attitudes, and practices (Kaps) of farmers on foot and mouth disease in cattle in baghlan province, afghanistan: A descriptive study | This study was performed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of farmers, animal traders, and veterinary professionals on FMD in Baghlan province, Afghanistan. Four structured questionnaires were administered to the respondents. Almost half (48.5%) of the farmers had heard of the occurrence of FMD in their neighbourhood or knew the name of the disease. The majority of farmers could recognise the clinical signs of FMD in their animals (salivation, 85.9%; tongue ulcers, 78.8%; gum lesions, 78.2%; hoof lesions, 76.8%). Most farmers stated that the “introduction of new animals” was the primary cause of FMD appearing on their farms and to control the spread of the disease, over half of the farmers (56%) preferred not to buy cattle from unknown or potentially infected sources. Animal traders’ knowledge was limited to recognising some clinical signs of the disease such as: salivation, and lesions in the mouth and on the feet. No animals were directly imported by the traders from outside Afghanistan. Over half of the local veterinary professionals (65%) kept record books of the animal diseases seen and/or treatment plans undertaken, and 80% of them reported the occurrence of FMD to the provincial, regional, and central veterinary authorities. No regular vaccination programme against FMD was implemented in the province. Poor import controls and quarantine were considered to be the main barriers to the control of FMD in the study area and the surrounding provinces. It can be concluded that, despite relatively good knowledge about FMD in the study area, there are gaps in farmers’ and traders’ knowledge that need to be addressed to overcome the burden of the disease in the province. These should focus on strengthening interprovincial quarantine measures and implementation of regular vaccination campaigns against the circulating FMDV within the area. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | Afghanistan; Animal traders; Baghlan; Farmers; FMD; KAP; One Health |
| Sero-monitoring of horses demonstrates the equivac® HeV hendra virus vaccine to be highly effective in inducing neu-tralising antibody titres | Hendra virus (HeV) is a high consequence zoonotic pathogen found in Australia. The HeV vaccine was developed for use in horses and provides a One Health solution to the prevention of human disease. By protecting horses from infection, the vaccine indirectly protects humans as well, as horses are the only known source of infection for humans. The sub-unit-based vaccine, containing recombinant HeV soluble G (sG) glycoprotein, was released by Pfizer Animal Health (now Zoetis) for use in Australia at the end of 2012. The purpose of this study was to collate post-vaccination serum neutralising antibody titres as a way of assessing how the vaccine has been performing in the field. Serum neutralization tests (SNTs) were performed on serum samples from vaccinated horses submitted to the laboratory by veterinarians. The SNT results have been analysed, together with age, dates of vaccinations, date of sampling and location. Results from 332 horses formed the data set. Provided horses received at least three vaccinations (consisting of two doses 3–6 weeks apart, and a third dose six months later), horses had high neutralising titres (median titre for three or more vaccinations was 2048), and none tested negative. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | Hendra virus; Hendra virus vaccine; One Health; Zoonoses |
| Cross-Sectoral Zoonotic Disease Surveillance in Western Kenya: Identifying Drivers and Barriers Within a Resource Constrained Setting | Background: Collaboration between the human and animal health sectors, including the sharing of disease surveillance data, has the potential to improve public health outcomes through the rapid detection of zoonotic disease events prior to widespread transmission in humans. Kenya has been at the forefront of embracing a collaborative approach in Africa with the inception of the Zoonotic Disease Unit in 2011. Joint outbreak responses have been coordinated at the national level, yet little is currently documented on cross-sectoral collaboration at the sub-national level. Methods: Key informant interviews were conducted with 28 disease surveillance officers from the human and animal health sectors in three counties in western Kenya. An inductive process of thematic analysis was used to identify themes relating to barriers and drivers for cross-sectoral collaboration. Results: The study identified four interlinking themes related to drivers and barriers for cross-sectoral collaboration. To drive collaboration at the sub-national level there needs to be a clear identification of “common objectives,” as currently exemplified by the response to suspected rabies and anthrax cases and routine meat hygiene activities. The action of collaboration, be it integrated responses to outbreaks or communication and data sharing, require “operational structures” to facilitate them, including the formalisation of reporting lines, supporting legislation and the physical infrastructure, from lab equipment to mobile phones, to facilitate the activities. These structures in turn require “appropriate resources” to support them, which will be allocated based on the “political will” of those who control the resources. Conclusions: Ongoing collaborations between human and animal disease surveillance officers at the sub-national level were identified, driven by common objectives such as routine meat hygiene and response to suspected rabies and anthrax cases. In these areas a suitable operational structure is present, including a supportive legislative framework and clearly designated roles for officers within both sectors. There was support from disease surveillance officers to increase their collaboration, communication and data sharing across sectors, yet this is currently hindered by the lack of these formal operational structures and poor allocation of resources to disease surveillance. It was acknowledged that improving this resource allocation will require political will at the sub-national, national and international levels. © Copyright © 2021 Thomas, Rushton, Bukachi, Falzon, Howland and Fèvre. | animal disease; animal health; anthrax; Article; communication skill; data analysis; disease surveillance; epidemic; human; hygiene; intersectoral collaboration; Kenya; law; livestock; livestock market; meat; nonhuman; politics; rabies; resource allocation; semi structured interview; thematic analysis; veterinary clinic; zoonosis | Kenya; livestock; one health; prioritisation; resource allocation; surveillance; zoonoses |
| The role of aquatic ecosystems (River Tua, Portugal) as reservoirs of multidrug-resistant Aeromonas spp | The inappropriate use of antibiotics, one of the causes of the high incidence of antimicrobialresistant bacteria isolated from aquatic ecosystems, represents a risk for aquatic organisms and the welfare of humans. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial resistance rates among riverine Aeromonas spp., taken as representative of the autochthonous microbiota, to evaluate the level of antibacterial resistance in the Tua River (Douro basin). The prevalence and degree of antibiotic resistance was examined using motile aeromonads as a potential indicator of antimicrobial susceptibility for the aquatic environment. Water samples were collected from the middle sector of the river, which is most impacted area by several anthropogenic pressures. Water samples were plated on an Aeromonas-selective agar, with and without antibiotics. The activity of 19 antibiotics was studied against 30 isolates of Aeromonas spp. using the standard agar dilution susceptibility test. Antibiotic resistance rates were fosfomycin (FOS) 83.33%, nalidixic acid (NA) 60%, cefotaxime (CTX) 40%, gentamicin (CN) 26.67%, tobramycin (TOB) 26.67%, cotrimoxazole (SXT) 26.67%, chloramphenicol (C) 16.67%, and tetracycline (TE) 13.33%. Some of the nalidixic acid-resistant strains were susceptible to fluoroquinolones. Multiple resistance was also observed (83.33%). The environmental ubiquity, the natural susceptibility to antimicrobials and the zoonotic potential of Aeromonas spp. make them optimal candidates for studying antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic ecosystems. Aquatic environments may provide an ideal setting for the acquisition and dissemination of antibiotic resistance because anthropogenic activities frequently impact them. The potential risk of multi- and pan-resistant bacteria transmission between animals and humans should be considered in a “One Health-One World” concept. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | Duero Basin; Aeromonas; environmental samples (Aeromonas); Indicator indicator; Microbiota; Algae; Antibiotics; Aquatic organisms; Bacteria; Health risks; Polysaccharides; Reservoirs (water); Rivers; Anthropogenic activity; Anthropogenic pressures; Antibiotic resistance; Antimicrobial resistances; Antimicrobial susceptibility; Aquatic environments; Multidrug resistants; Susceptibility tests; anthropogenic effect; antibiotic resistance; antimicrobial activity; aquatic ecosystem; aquatic organism; bacterium; bioindicator; drug resistance; environmental risk; isolated population; microorganism; reservoir; Aquatic ecosystems | Aeromonas spp; Anthropogenic pressures; Antibiotic resistance; Multidrug resistance; One Health-One World; River pollution |
| Characterisation and mapping of the surveillance system for antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial use in the United Kingdom | Background: Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an essential component of any strategy to mitigate AMR and needs regular evaluation to ensure its effectiveness. A first step for any evaluation is to describe the system and context. In this study, we aimed to characterise and map the surveillance system for AMR and antimicrobial use (AMU) in the United Kingdom (UK) using a One Health (OH) approach and to identify integration points in the system. Methods: To describe the surveillance system for AMR/AMU, international guidelines for establishing surveillance systems for AMR and AMU were used. A review of the literature was conducted to collect information on the different parameters identified. Results: Multiple data collection systems exist for AMU and AMR in humans, animals and food. Each sector is responsible for the planning, implementation, analysis and reporting of its own surveillance for AMR and AMU. Some cross-sectoral collaborative activities exist such as the UK AMR contingency plan and the publication of UK OH reports; there are opportunities for further integration such as the harmonisation of data analyses methods and interpretation across sectors and the publication of joint surveillance reports. Conclusion: This overview of key stakeholders, data collection streams, reporting, linkages within and across sectors and international monitoring forms an important basis for future evaluation of the UK AMR/AMU surveillance system from a OH perspective. © 2021 The Authors. Veterinary Record published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Veterinary Association. | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Humans; One Health; United Kingdom; antiinfective agent; antibiotic resistance; Article; data analysis; drug use; health care planning; health care surveillance; human; information processing; nonhuman; One Health; practice guideline; United Kingdom; animal | AMR; AMU; antimicrobial resistance; antimicrobial use; One Health; surveillance |
| Genomic epidemiology of shiga toxin-producing escherichia coli isolated from the livestock-food-human interface in South America | Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are zoonotic pathogens responsible for causing food-borne diseases in humans. While South America has the highest incidence of human STEC infections, information about the genomic characteristics of the circulating strains is scarce. The aim of this study was to analyze genomic data of STEC strains isolated in South America from cattle, beef, and humans; predicting the antibiotic resistome, serotypes, sequence types (STs), clonal complexes (CCs) and phylogenomic backgrounds. A total of 130 whole genome sequences of STEC strains were analyzed, where 39.2% were isolated from cattle, 36.9% from beef, and 23.8% from humans. The ST11 was the most predicted (20.8%) and included O-:H7 (10.8%) and O157:H7 (10%) serotypes. The successful expansion of non-O157 clones such as ST16/CC29-O111:H8 and ST21/CC29-O26:H11 is highlighted, suggesting multilateral trade and travel. Virulome analyses showed that the predominant stx subtype was stx2a (54.6%); most strains carried ehaA (96.2%), iha (91.5%) and lpfA (77.7%) genes. We present genomic data that can be used to support the surveillance of STEC strains circulating at the livestock-food-human interface in South America, in order to control the spread of critical clones “from farm to table”. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | alpha hemolysin; collagen; cytotoxin; fibronectin; genomic DNA; laminin; syntaxin 2; toxin; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic resistome; antibiotic sensitivity; Article; bacterial gene; bacterium isolation; controlled study; Escherichia coli; gene sequence; genotype; human; microbial diversity; molecular epidemiology; multilocus sequence typing; nonhuman; phylogenetic tree; phylogeny; serotype; serotyping; Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli; Shigella; whole genome sequencing | Beef; Cattle; MLST; Molecular epidemiology; One Health; South Amer-ica; STEC; Whole-genome sequencing |
| Towards a better and harmonized education in antimicrobial stewardship in European veterinary curricula | Education in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in veterinary medicine is essential to foster responsible antimicrobial use and control of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animals. AMS is listed by the EU and international organizations among the basic ‘Day One Competences’ required of veterinary students upon graduation. Our aim was to evaluate the quality of education of European veterinary students in AMS.We distributed a 27-item survey addressing the perceptions of preparedness and acquired skills on key topics related to AMS to final-year veterinary students in Europe. We collected 3423 complete answers from 89 veterinary schools in 30 countries. Selection of treatment strategies and awareness of emerging AMR problems were markedly different between countries. Overall, only one in four students was familiar with guidelines for antimicrobial use. The students perceived a medium-high impact of veterinary antimicrobial use on AMR in humans. Notably, 75% of the students felt the need for improved teaching on AMS, half of which also demanded more teaching on general antimicrobial therapy. Our results highlight several possible strategies to improve the quality of education, ranging from a better link between clinical rotations and the theory taught in pre-clinical modules, to a more effective introduction into best practices for antimicrobial use. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | antiinfective agent; extended spectrum beta lactamase; adult; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic sensitivity; antimicrobial stewardship; antimicrobial therapy; Article; awareness; bacteriuria; curriculum; cystitis; Desulfovibrionaceae infection; disease transmission; Europe; female; human; human tissue; knowledge; male; mastitis; medical education; medical student; nonhuman; perception; questionnaire; strangles; teaching; urinary tract infection; veterinary medicine; veterinary student | Antimicrobial resistance; Antimicrobial stewardship; Education; One health; Preparedness; Questionnaire; Veterinary curriculum; Veterinary medicine |
| Article determinants of antimicrobial resistance among the different european countries: More than human and animal antimicrobial consumption | Although antimicrobial consumption is considered the main driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), other factors probably have a significant but less studied impact. The study’s goal was to assess AMR drivers across different European countries and quantify their possible contribu-tions using the latest data available. Using the ESAC-Net (European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption Network) database, the ESVAC (European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption) database and the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) information, a dataset including 23 European countries was created. Associations between AMR and potential contributing factors were assessed using bivariate correlation and multiple linear regression models for multivariable analyses. Factors associated with the AMR rate among European countries were human ambulatory consumption of antibiotics and per capita expenditure on health, meaning that the higher human ambulatory consumption of antibiotics and the lower the per capita expenditure on health, the higher the AMR. Both variables together explain 74% of AMR variation. Private expenditure on health in terms of % GDP (Gross Domestic Profit) was positively related to a higher AMR rate. In conclusion, considering antibiotic consumption as the most important factor contributing to AMR may be a deviant focus, as resistance transmission may be paramount for AMR levels. Low per capita expenditure on health, probably a surrogate of worse healthcare conditions and a high level of resistance transmission, has a strong correlation with the AMR rate. Increasing public expenditure on healthcare, to strengthen infection control structures and processes interventions, seems relevant to tackle antimicrobial resistance at the European scale. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | antibiotic agent; cephalosporin; vancomycin; antibiotic resistance; Article; carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii; correlation analysis; cost effectiveness analysis; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterococcus faecalis; Enterococcus faecium; health care; health care cost; human; multiple linear regression analysis; profit; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; public expenditure | Antibiotic consumption; Antimicrobial resistance; Health system; Healthcare expenditure; One Health; Socio-economic determinants |
| Environmental spread of antibiotic resistance | Antibiotic resistance represents a global health concern. Soil, water, livestock and plant foods are directly or indirectly exposed to antibiotics due to their agricultural use or contamination. This selective pressure has acted synergistically to bacterial competition in nature to breed antibiotic-resistant (AR) bacteria. Research over the past few decades has focused on the emergence of AR pathogens in food products that can cause disease outbreaks and the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), but One Health approaches have lately expanded the focus to include commensal bacteria as ARG donors. Despite the attempts of national and international authorities of developed and developing countries to reduce the over-prescription of antibiotics to humans and the use of antibiotics as livestock growth promoters, the selective flow of antibiotic resistance transmission from the environment to the clinic (and vice-versa) is increasing. This review focuses on the mechanisms of ARG transmission and the hotspots of antibiotic contamination resulting in the subsequent emergence of ARGs. It follows the transmission of ARGs from farm to plant and animal food products and provides examples of the impact of ARG flow to clinical settings. Understudied and emerging antibiotic resistance selection determinants, such as heavy metal and biocide contamination, are also discussed here. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | ampicillin; antibiotic agent; cefepime; chloramphenicol; ciprofloxacin; clindamycin; erythromycin; gentamicin; growth promotor; heavy metal; lincomycin; meropenem; penicillin derivative; polymyxin B; rifampicin; soil water; tetracycline; vancomycin; agriculture; antibiotic resistance; Article; Bacillus thuringiensis; bacterial strain; breed; contamination; Erwinia amylovora; Escherichia coli; food chain; global health; horizontal gene transfer; Klebsiella pneumoniae; microbial community; nonhuman; Pectobacterium carotovorum; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas putida; Pseudomonas syringae; serotype; Staphylococcus aureus; Streptomyces; Thiobacillus; wastewater; Xanthomonas campestris | Antibiotic resistance; Horizontal gene transfer; Microbiology; One health |
| While We Endure This Pandemic, What New Respiratory Virus Threats Are We Missing? | In this paper, we review recent human respiratory virus epidemics, their zoonotic nature, and our current inability to identify future prepandemic threats. We propose a cost-efficient, One Health surveillance strategy that will be more efficient and more sustainable than previous efforts. © 2021 The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. | Adenoviridae; Article; Coronaviridae; coronavirus disease 2019; cost benefit analysis; domestic animal; economic aspect; genetic reassortment; global health; health survey; human; morbidity; One Health; Orthomyxoviridae; pandemic; Picornaviridae; public health; respiratory virus; risk factor; seasonal variation; virus detection; virus transmission; wildlife | adenoviruses; coronaviruses; emerging respiratory viruses; enteroviruses; influenza viruses |
| How Cooperative Engagement Programs Strengthen Sequencing Capabilities for Biosurveillance and Outbreak Response | The threat of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases continues to be a challenge to public and global health security. Cooperative biological engagement programs act to build partnerships and collaborations between scientists and health professionals to strengthen capabilities in biosurveillance. Biosurveillance is the systematic process of detecting, reporting, and responding to especially dangerous pathogens and pathogens of pandemic potential before they become outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics. One important tool in biosurveillance is next generation sequencing. Expensive sequencing machines, reagents, and supplies make it difficult for countries to adopt this technology. Cooperative engagement programs help by providing funding for technical assistance to strengthen sequencing capabilities. Through workshops and training, countries are able to learn sequencing and bioinformatics, and implement these tools in their biosurveillance programs. Cooperative programs have an important role in building and sustaining collaborations among institutions and countries. One of the most important pieces in fostering these collaborations is trust. Trust provides the confidence that a successful collaboration will benefit all parties involved. With sequencing, this enables the sharing of pathogen samples and sequences. Obtaining global sequencing data helps to identify unknown etiological agents, track pathogen evolution and infer transmission networks throughout the duration of a pandemic. Having sequencing technology in place for biosurveillance generates the capacity to provide real-time data to understand and respond to pandemics. We highlight the need for these programs to continue to strengthen sequencing in biosurveillance. By working together to strengthen sequencing capabilities, trust can be formed, benefitting global health in the face of biological threats. © Copyright © 2021 Bartlow, Middlebrook, Romero and Fair. | Biosurveillance; Disease Outbreaks; Global Health; Pandemics; biosurveillance; epidemic; global health; pandemic | cooperative threat reduction; emerging diseases; next generation sequencing; One Health; pandemic preparedness |
