| Titles | Abstract | Indexed Keywords | Author Keywords |
| Creating a framework to align antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research with the global guidance: a viewpoint | We describe here an initial analysis of national and international guidance documents on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to propose a framework to align AMR research activities with global guidance. The framework provides a summary roadmap for core activities in AMR research and highlights the need for interdisciplinary and One Health collaboration. This analysis also revealed limitations in the current guidance, including a lack of explicit mention of some research activities highly relevant to AMR and a dearth of concrete objectives; consequently, an over-reliance on global guidance could be funnelling research efforts down a generic trajectory without regard to contextual factors. We suggest this framework be used by academics and policymakers to align AMR research and guidance. However, we recommend that deeper exploration be undertaken to fully contextualize the development of meaningful questions based on current knowledge, methodologies and gap analyses. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. | Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; antiinfective agent; antibiotic resistance; article; One Health |
| One Health Analysis of mcr-Carrying Plasmids and Emergence of mcr-10.1 in Three Species of Klebsiella Recovered from Humans in China | The global dissemination of the mobile colistin resistance (mcr) gene illustrates how the use of colistin in veterinary medicine can affect human health, exemplifying the concept of One Health. This study screened for the existence of mcr variants (from mcr-1 to mcr-10) in a 5-year collection of clinical Klebsiella short-read whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data from a tertiary hospital in China (2013 to 2018) and aimed to identify the mechanisms of mcr spread. MICs were measured for the mcr-positive isolates, and long-read sequencing was performed to complete the mcr-positive genome sequences. Six variants (mcr-1.1, mcr-8.1, mcr-8.2, mcr-9.1, mcr-9.2, and mcr-10.1) were identified in 20 genomes, with plasmids from the IncFIIK, IncHI2, IncI2, and IncX4 groups. Highly similar plasmids (coverage, .75%; nucleotide identity, .98.5%) isolated from silver gulls, chickens, pigs, wastewater treatment plants, and hospital sewage were identified in GenBank. The MICs of the mcr-1- and mcr-8-carrying isolates were $4 mg/mL; however, the MICs of the mcr-9- and mcr-10-carrying isolates ranged from 0.5 mg/mL to 1 mg/mL (colistin susceptible). The variants mcr-1 to mcr-9 were found only in Klebsiella pneumoniae, while mcr-10.1 was found in K. pneumoniae, Klebsiella quasipneumoniae subsp. quasipneumoniae, and Klebsiella variicola. A pair of inverted repeats (IRs) was identified for hsdSMR-ISEc36-mcr-10.1-xerC; IR-1 (59-TCAAACGTA) was inside the attL site of xerC, indicating that mcr-10.1 was originally integrated by xerC and mobilized by ISEc36 afterwards. In conclusion, this is the first report of mcr-10.1 susceptible to colistin in three species of Klebsiella. This study shows the genetic events that happened to mcr-10.1 in a stepwise manner, with the first step being XerC integration and the second being ISEc36 mobilization. Finally, this study also highlights mcr transmission between humans and nature. © 2022 Liu et al. | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Chickens; Colistin; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli Proteins; Humans; Integrases; Klebsiella; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; One Health; Plasmids; Swine; antiinfective agent; colistin; Escherichia coli protein; integrase; MCR-1 protein, E coli; XerC protein, E coli; animal; antibiotic resistance; chicken; Escherichia coli; genetics; human; Klebsiella; Klebsiella pneumoniae; microbial sensitivity test; One Health; pig; plasmid | China; colistin resistance; Klebsiella pneumoniae; mcr; mcr-10; mobile colistin resistance; One Health |
| Exploring Primary Preservice Teachers’ Agency and Systems Thinking in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic | The science education curriculum has become increasingly focused on the study of complex systems and on the development of agency so that students make decisions on relevant issues. The current pandemic has underlined the need to look at health from a systemic “One Health” approach, but little is known about the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and actions necessary for individuals to successfully contribute to One Health. This study seeks to contribute to this knowledge, and explores preservice elementary teachers’ agency and systems thinking competencies to propose actions for preventing future pandemics from the One Health approach. The participants were 47 preservice elementary teachers working on a set of activities about the COVID-19 pandemic, in which they were asked about ways to prevent future pandemics. Content analysis of individual written responses was applied for addressing the level of systems thinking and the sense of personal and collective responsibility toward the action proposed. Results show that the preservice teachers initially referred mainly to actions in the human health dimension, and that the systems thinking showed a higher level when they made the activity in groups after reading information. Collectively proposed actions showed a lack of agency or individual responsibility compared to individually proposed ones. The implications of the results for science teaching are discussed. Copyright © 2022 Uskola and Puig. | agency; COVID-19 pandemic; environmental problems; health education; One Health; preservice elementary teachers; systems thinking |
| High Rates of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli in Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) of the German Baltic and North Sea Coasts: Indication of Environmental Contamination and a Potential Public Health Risk | Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria pose a serious global health risk for humans and animals, while the role of wildlife in the dynamic transmission processes of antimicrobial resistance in environmental settings is still unclear. This study determines the occurrence of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli in the free-living great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) of the North and Baltic Sea coasts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. For this, resistant E. coli were isolated from cloacal or faecal swabs and their antimicrobial resistance pheno- and genotypes were investigated using disk diffusion tests and PCR assays. The isolates were further assigned to the four major phylogenetic groups, and their affiliation to avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) was tested. Resistant E. coli were isolated from 66.7% of the 33 samples, and 48.9% of all the resistant isolates showed a multidrug resistance profile. No spatial differences were seen between the different sampling locations with regard to the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance or multidrug resistance. Most commonly, resistance percentages occurred against streptomycin, followed by tetracycline and sulfonamides. More than half of the isolates belonged to the phylogenetic group B1. Of all the isolates, 24.4% were classified as APEC isolates, of which almost 82% were identified as multidrug-resistant. These results add information on the dispersal of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in wild birds in Germany, thereby allowing conclusions on the degree of environmental contamination and potential public health concerns. © 2022 by the authors. | alfa aeser; amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid; ampicillin; cefalotin; cefazolin; cefpodoxime; chloramphenicol; ciprofloxacin; colistin; florfenicol; gentamicin; kanamycin; nalidixic acid; streptomycin; sulfamethoxazole; sulfonamide; tetracycline; trimethoprim; adult; antibiotic resistance; Article; bacterial growth; bacterium identification; bacterium isolate; bacterium isolation; Baltic Sea; broth dilution; contamination; disk diffusion; Enterobacteriaceae; environmental contamination; Escherichia coli; genotype; Germany; health hazard; matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry; minimum inhibitory concentration; molecular typing; multidrug resistance; multidrug resistant Escherichia coli; multilocus sequence typing; nonhuman; Phalacrocorax carbo; phenotype; phylogenetic tree; phylogeny; polymerase chain reaction; population density | antimicrobial resistance; Enterobacteriaceae; one health; suliformes; wildlife |
| Manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Mink Related to Host-, Virus- and Farm-Associated Factors, The Netherlands 2020 | SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks on 69 Dutch mink farms in 2020 were studied to identify risk factors for virus introduction and transmission and to improve surveillance and containment measures. Clinical signs, laboratory test results, and epidemiological aspects were investigated, such as the date and reason of suspicion, housing, farm size and distances, human contact structure, biosecurity measures, and presence of wildlife, pets, pests, and manure management. On seven farms, extensive random sampling was performed, and age, coat color, sex, and clinical signs were recorded. Mild to severe respiratory signs and general diseases such as apathy, reduced feed intake, and increased mortality were detected on 62/69 farms. Throat swabs were more likely to result in virus detection than rectal swabs. Clinical signs differed between virus clusters and were more severe for dark-colored mink, males, and animals infected later during the year. Geographical clustering was found for one virus cluster. Shared personnel could explain some cases, but other transmission routes explaining farm-to-farm spread were not elucidated. An early warning surveillance system, strict biosecurity measures, and a (temporary) ban on mink farming and vaccinating animals and humans can contribute to reducing the risks of the virus spreading and acquisition of potential mutations relevant to human and animal health. © 2022 by the authors. | Animal Husbandry; Animals; COVID-19; Farms; Humans; Male; Mink; Netherlands; SARS-CoV-2; adult; animal reservoir; Article; biosecurity; coronavirus disease 2019; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; epidemic; farm animal; female; human; hygiene; male; manure; mortality; Neovison vison; nonhuman; phylogeny; rectal swab; reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; risk factor; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; throat swab; virus detection; virus genome; virus transmission; zoonosis; agricultural land; animal; animal husbandry; epidemiology; genetics; Netherlands; procedures | animal reservoirs; biosecurity; disease outbreaks; mink; mink farms; one health; risk factors; SARS-CoV-2; spillover and spillback; zoonoses and reverse zoonoses |
| Benefits, companion animal zoonotic disease prevalence and public perceptions of pet ownership among people experiencing homelessness in northern California | California has the highest proportion of unhoused individuals in the country, and up to 25% of unhoused individuals own pets, providing substantial benefits but unique challenges including access to housing, transportation and unfounded grounds for social stigmatization. Unhoused individuals and pets may also be at risk for diseases due to impaired access to sanitation facilities. The purpose of this cross-sectional survey was to evaluate differences in perceived benefits, challenges and public perceptions among pet owners of varying housing security and the prevalence of diseases among their pets. Questionnaires were administered to housed and unhoused pet owners and pet blood screened for rickettsiosis, bartonellosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, borreliosis, West Nile fever and heartworm. Among 147 canine and 16 feline blood samples, seropositivity of ectoparasitic diseases did not vary by housing status. Among 45 housed and 56 unhoused owners, unhoused owners were significantly more likely to report protective benefits, challenges obtaining housing, finding a flea on their pet, using bottled water for their pet and their pet sleeping in their bed. Housed owners were significantly more likely to report companionship and entertainment benefits, challenges with pet sitting and consistently administering parasite preventatives. Similar (96–98%) percentages stated they would not give up their pet for better housing and 31% of housed pet owners believed that people should not own pets if they do not have secure housing. Social stigma against unhoused pet owners is present within the community, requiring education to change public perception and guide policy regarding housing for pet owners experiencing homelessness. © 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH. | Animals; Cat Diseases; Cats; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Drinking Water; Homeless Persons; Humans; Ownership; Pets; Prevalence; Public Opinion; Surveys and Questionnaires; Zoonoses; drinking water; adult; Anaplasma phagocytophilum; anaplasmosis; Article; Bartonella; bartonellosis; blood sampling; Borrelia burgdorferi; Borrelia infection; California; cat; clinical article; confidentiality; controlled study; coronavirus disease 2019; cross-sectional study; Dirofilaria immitis; dirofilariasis; dog; Ehrlichia canis; ehrlichiosis; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; female; homelessness; housing; human; immunofluorescence; male; middle aged; nonhuman; pet animal; prevalence; quality of life; Rickettsia; rickettsiosis; seroprevalence; sitting; sleep; social stigma; social worker; West Nile fever; zoonosis; animal; cat disease; dog disease; homeless person; organization and management; parasitology; pet animal; prevalence; public opinion; questionnaire; zoonosis | homeless persons; one health; pets; vector-borne diseases; zoonoses |
| Self-reported awareness of the legal status of eight responsibilities of dog owners in Ireland: are dog owners different from non-dog owners? | Background: Legislation pertaining to canine ownership in Ireland maintains a one-health perspective by establishing a minimum standard of care for dogs while safeguarding human health and wellbeing. However, public awareness of this legislation has not been measured. The goals of this study were first, to estimate and compare the level of awareness, among dog owners and non-dog owners, that eight responsibilities of dog owners are prescribed by law in Ireland. Second, to determine if gender modifies differences in awareness between owners and non-owners, and third to determine whether gender itself is independently associated with awareness of the legal specification of these dog ownership responsibilities. Results: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 679 University College Dublin employees. Exposure information included participants’ dog ownership status, gender, age, and education level. Among dog owners and non-dog owners, we estimated and compared the prevalences of persons with self-reported awareness that each of eight dog ownership responsibilities are prescribed by law in Ireland: Dog fouling in a public place, the leashing and muzzling of certain breeds, holding a dog license, straying of dogs, safeguarding health and welfare of dogs, dog abandonment, prohibition on tail docking of puppies and the mandatory wearing of identification. The prevalence of awareness was low among both dog owners and non-dog owners with substantial awareness (≥ 80%) of only three responsibilities: Those pertaining to fouling, licensing and muzzling and leashing. Awareness that more than one responsibility was specified by law was also poor with only 17.9% (95% CI: 15.1–20.9%) of participants aware of all eight and dog owners essentially just as likely (54%; 95% CI: 49–58%) to be aware of more than one as non-dog owners. For most dog ownership responsibilities, differences in prevalence (PD) of awareness between owners and non-owners and females and males were trivial (PD < 10%). Similarly for most responsibilities, gender did not modify awareness PDs between owners and non-owners. Conclusions: In this well-educated university community, self-reported awareness that these eight responsibilities of dog owners are prescribed by law in Ireland is poor with essentially no difference between dog owners and non-dog owners or males and females. Awareness was higher for those responsibilities which, when not discharged, result in direct negative consequences to humans compared to those that result in direct negative consequences to dogs. It is likely that awareness of the legal status of these eight responsibilities of dog owners among the general public in Ireland is even less than observed in this study. © 2021, The Author(s). | adult; animal experiment; article; awareness; breed; controlled study; cross-sectional study; education; educational status; employee; female; gender; human; Ireland; licence; male; nonhuman; prevalence; puppy; responsibility; welfare; wellbeing | Awareness; Canine welfare; Dog; Dog ownership; Human health and wellbeing; Knowledge; Law; Legal responsibility; One health; Owner; Prevalence |
| Zoonoses and Animal Culling: The Need for One Health Policy | One Health (OH) as a biomedical and social movement calls to reorient public health approaches toward more holistic, nonanthropocentric approaches that do not exclude the interests of animals and ecosystems. OH thus urges reexamination, from both scientific and moral perspectives, of the practice of culling pet, farm, or wild animals in the face of a zoonosis. Pandemics such as Covid and monkeypox highlight the need for more rigorous analysis of the justifications traditionally provided to back these culling practices. Such analyses should then ground reasonable OH policies and legislation that consider the rights of humans, animals, and the environment. Bill S.861, “Advancing Emergency Preparedness through One Health Act of 2021,” which was introduced in the U.S. Congress, is a step in the right direction. © 2022 The Hastings Center. | Animal Culling; Animals; COVID-19; Ecosystem; Health Policy; Humans; One Health; Zoonoses; animal; animal culling; ecosystem; health care policy; human; One Health; zoonosis | anthropocentrism; bioethics; Covid-19; ecosystem; monkeypox; One Health |
| Epidemiology of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Streptococcus agalactiae Sequences from a Public Database in a One Health Perspective | Streptococcus agalactiae is a well-known pathogen in humans and food-producing animals. Therefore, this bacterium is a paradigmatic example of a pathogen to be controlled by a One Health approach. Indeed, the zoonotic and reverse-zoonotic potential of the bacteria, the prevalence of Group B Streptococci (GBS) diseases in both human and animal domains, and the threatening global situation on GBS antibiotic resistance make these bacteria an important target for control programs. An epidemiological analysis using a public database containing sequences of S. agalactiae from all over the world was conducted to evaluate the frequency and evolution of antibiotic resistance genes in those isolates. The database we considered (NCBI pathogen detection isolate browser—NPDIB) is maintained on a voluntary basis. Therefore, it does not follow strict epidemiological criteria. However, it may be considered representative of the bacterial population related to human diseases. The results showed that the number of reported sequences increased largely in the last four years, and about 50% are of European origin. The frequency data and the cluster analysis showed that the AMR genes increased in frequency in recent years and suggest the importance of verifying the application of prudent protocols for antimicrobials in areas with an increasing frequency of GBS infections both in human and veterinary medicine. © 2022 by the authors. | aminoglycoside; antibiotic agent; cefotaxime; chloramphenicol; ciprofloxacin; lincosamide; macrolide; streptogramin derivative; tetracycline; adult; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic sensitivity; Article; bacterium identification; cluster analysis; female; gene frequency; gene sequence; genetic variability; genotype; human; male; microorganism detection; molecular epidemiology; nonhuman; phenotype; phylogenetic tree; phylogeny; prevalence; sequence alignment; Streptococcus agalactiae; veterinary medicine | antimicrobial resistance; GBS infections; molecular epidemiology; One Health; S. agalactiae |
| Spread of Sporothrix spp. through respiratory droplets from infected cats: A potential route of transmission | Cases of cat-transmitted sporotrichosis in Brazil have increased in recent years. We collected respiratory secretions expelled while sneezing from 28 cats diagnosed with sporotrichosis. We identified the presence of Sporothrix spp. in respiratory droplets expelled in the sneeze of infected cats. The results raise concerns about a new transmission route for cat-transmitted sporotrichosis. Physicians who diagnose and treat human cases of sporotrichosis should be aware of this potential new transmission method to improve clinical suspicion. Approximately half of patients with granulomatous conjunctival sporotrichosis did not report experiencing traumatic injury from cats. © 2022 The Author(s). | Animals; Brazil; Cat Diseases; Cats; Humans; Respiratory Aerosols and Droplets; Sporothrix; Sporotrichosis; Zoonoses; Article; bodily secretions; Brazil; cat; eye protection; human; implantation; incidence; infectious droplets and aerosols; mucosa; nonhuman; nose cavity; paw; respiratory droplets and aerosols; rhinorrhea; skin defect; skin manifestation; sneezing; Sporothrix; Sporothrix brasiliensis; sporotrichosis; tail; veterinary clinic; zoonotic transmission; animal; cat; cat disease; Sporothrix; sporotrichosis; veterinary medicine; zoonosis | diagnosis; One Health; sporotrichosis; transmission; zoonoses |
| Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Prevalence in Sheep, Wild Boar and Ticks in Belgium | Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is the most important tick-borne zoonotic virus in Europe. In Belgium, antibodies to TBEV have already been detected in wildlife and domestic animals, but up-to-date prevalence data for TBEV are lacking, and no studies have assessed its seroprevalence in sheep. Serum samples of 480 sheep from all over Belgium and 831 wild boar hunted in Flanders (northern Belgium) were therefore screened for TBEV antibodies by ELISA and plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), respectively. The specificity of positive samples was assessed by PRNTs for TBEV and the Louping Ill, West Nile, and Usutu viruses. TBEV seroprevalence was 0.42% (2/480, CI 95%: 0.11–1.51) in sheep and 9.27% (77/831, CI 95%: 7.48–11.43) in wild boar. TBEV seroprevalence in wild boar from the province of Flemish Brabant was significantly higher (22.38%, 15/67) compared to Limburg (7.74%, 34/439) and Antwerp (8.61%, 28/325). Oud-Heverlee was the hunting area harboring the highest TBEV seroprevalence (33.33%, 11/33). In an attempt to obtain a Belgian TBEV isolate, 1983 ticks collected in areas showing the highest TBEV seroprevalence in wild boars were tested by real-time qPCR. No TBEV-RNA-positive tick was detected. The results of this study suggest an increase in TBEV prevalence over the last decade and highlight the need for One-Health surveillance in Belgium. © 2022 by the authors. | Animals; Antibodies, Viral; Belgium; Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne; Encephalitis, Tick-Borne; Prevalence; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Sheep; Sus scrofa; Swine; Ticks; virus antibody; antibody detection; Article; Belgium; caprine arthritis encephalitis; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; European wild boar; Louping ill virus; nonhuman; One Health; plaque reduction neutralization test; prevalence; real time polymerase chain reaction; RNA extraction; seroprevalence; sheep; tick; tick borne encephalitis; Tick borne encephalitis virus; Usutu virus; West Nile virus; animal; pig; prevalence; seroepidemiology; sheep; tick borne encephalitis; Tick borne encephalitis virus; veterinary medicine | Belgium; prevalence; PRNT; sheep; tick-borne encephalitis; ticks; wild boar |
| Assessment of One Health Knowledge, Animal Welfare Implications, and Emergency Preparedness Considerations for Effective Public Health Response | Objectives: Information on knowledge of public health professionals about health aspects of the human–animal interface, referred to as One Health, is limited. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with animal welfare attitudes, practices, and One Health awareness among US Public Health Service (USPHS) officers to assess preparedness for public health response. Methods: USPHS officers participated in an online, self-administered survey from February 15 through March 2, 2018. A total of 1133 of 6474 (17.5%) USPHS officers responded. We collected information on officers’ demographic characteristics, animal welfare attitudes and practices, volunteer and work exposure to animals, and One Health knowledge. We compared (1) One Health knowledge and animal work exposure (deployment, regular assignment, or none) and (2) animal welfare importance and animal work exposure. To adjust for demographic characteristics associated with One Health knowledge, we used multivariable logistic regression. Results: One-third of nonveterinary officers reported encountering animals during deployment, and 65% reported that animal welfare was very or extremely important. We found no difference in One Health knowledge between nonveterinary officers who participated in deployments involving animals and nonveterinary officers who had no work exposure to animals (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.11; 95% CI, 0.71-1.75). Nonveterinary officers who participated in animal-related public health activities during regular assignment were more likely to have One Health knowledge than nonveterinary officers who had no work exposure to animals (aOR = 7.88; 95% CI, 5.36-11.59). Conclusions: One Health knowledge and awareness should be further explored in the current US public health workforce to identify training needs for emergency preparedness and other collaborative opportunities. © 2021, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. | Animal Welfare; Animals; Civil Defense; Health Personnel; Humans; One Health; Public Health; Surveys and Questionnaires; adult; animal experiment; animal welfare; article; attitude to health; awareness; controlled study; demography; female; male; mental health; nonhuman; One Health; public health service; veterinary medicine; wellbeing; workforce; animal; animal welfare; civil defense; health care personnel; human; public health; questionnaire | emergency preparedness; mental health and well-being; public health practice; training; veterinary public health |
| Differential Overlap in Human and Animal Fecal Microbiomes and Resistomes in Rural versus Urban Bangladesh | Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear the largest mortality burden of antibiotic-resistant infections. Small-scale animal production and free-roaming domestic animals are common in many LMICs, yet data on zoonotic exchange of gut bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in low-income communities are sparse. Differences between rural and urban communities with regard to population density, antibiotic use, and cohabitation with animals likely influence the frequency of transmission of gut bacterial communities and ARGs between humans and animals. Here, we determined the similarity in gut microbiomes, using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and resistomes, using long-read metagenomics, between humans, chickens, and goats in a rural community compared to an urban community in Bangladesh. Gut microbiomes were more similar between humans and chickens in the rural (where cohabitation is more common) than the urban community, but there was no difference for humans and goats in the rural versus the urban community. Human and goat resistomes were more similar in the urban community, and ARG abundance was higher in urban animals than rural animals. We identified substantial overlap of ARG alleles in humans and animals in both settings. Humans and chickens had more overlapping ARG alleles than humans and goats. All fecal hosts from the urban community and rural humans carried ARGs on chromosomal contigs classified as potentially pathogenic bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridioides difficile, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. These findings provide insight into the breadth of ARGs circulating within human and animal populations in a rural compared to urban community in Bangladesh. IMPORTANCE While the development of antibiotic resistance in animal gut microbiomes and subsequent transmission to humans has been demonstrated in intensive farming environments and high-income countries, evidence of zoonotic exchange of antibiotic resistance in LMIC communities is lacking. This research provides genomic evidence of overlap of antibiotic resistance genes between humans and animals, especially in urban communities, and highlights chickens as important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance. Chicken and human gut microbiomes were more similar in rural Bangladesh, where cohabitation is more common. Incorporation of long-read metagenomics enabled characterization of bacterial hosts of resistance genes, which has not been possible in previous culture-independent studies using only short-read sequencing. These findings highlight the importance of developing strategies for combatting antibiotic resistance that account for chickens being reservoirs of ARGs in community environments, especially in urban areas. Copyright © 2022 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved. | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Bangladesh; Chickens; Escherichia coli; Genes, Bacterial; Humans; Microbiota; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Rural Population; Bangladesh; Antibiotics; Escherichia coli; Genes; Health; Population statistics; RNA; Transmissions; antiinfective agent; RNA 16S; Antibiotic resistance genes; Antibiotics resistance; Bangladesh; Low income countries; Metagenomics; Microbiome; Middle-income countries; One health; Resistome; Urban community; antibiotic resistance; chromosome; digestive system; disease transmission; genomics; microbial activity; microbial community; microorganism; public health; rural area; rural population; spatiotemporal analysis; urban area; animal; bacterial gene; bacterium; Bangladesh; chicken; Escherichia coli; genetics; human; microflora; rural population; Animals | antibiotic resistance; metagenomics; microbiome; one health; public health; resistome |
| Development of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols in veterinary medicine through a one-health approach: the role of anesthesia and locoregional techniques | Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a new and emerging concept in human medicine that involves rethinking the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative periods. The ultimate, overarching aim is to improve patient outcome following surgery and, thus, return to a normal daily routine as soon as possible. The development and implementation of locoregional anesthetic techniques in humans is one of the key elements driving these protocols. In veterinary medicine, we are no exception: the rapidly growing interest, development, and refinement of these techniques in our veterinary species is changing the way we think of anesthesia and analgesia. The potential real benefits are yet to be determined, as this concept is implemented into our veterinary hospitals in general, and our surgical patients in particular, in a more systematic and routine way. In this article, we will introduce the reader to the concept of ERAS protocols and the role of regional anesthesia in some common surgical procedures. © 2022 American Veterinary Medical Association. All rights reserved. | Analgesia; Anesthesia; Animals; Enhanced Recovery After Surgery; Humans; One Health; adult; analgesia; article; enhanced recovery after surgery; human; outcome assessment; regional anesthesia; surgical patient; surgical technique; veterinary clinic; veterinary medicine; analgesia; anesthesia; animal; One Health; procedures; veterinary medicine |
| Low Clostridioides difficile positivity rate in wild animal shelter in Slovenia | Here we review literature on Clostridioides difficile in captive wild animals and describe results from a single wild animal shelter in Slovenia. C. difficile was found in four out of 22 samples from animals of 15 different species (mammals n = 3; birds n = 12). Isolates were cultured only from bird samples and typed as RT 078, 002, 014 and additional unknown type. All three known ribotypes are commonly shared between humans and/or animals and environment. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd | Animals; Animals, Wild; Clostridioides; Clostridioides difficile; Clostridium Infections; Humans; Mammals; Ribotyping; Slovenia; article; bacterium culture; bacterium isolate; bird; clinical article; Clostridioides difficile; human cell; human tissue; literature; mammal; nonhuman; One Health; positivity rate; Slovenia; wild animal; animal; Clostridium infection; genetics; human; ribotyping; Slovenia; veterinary medicine; wild animal | Birds; C. difficile; Captive wild animals; One Health; Zoo |
| An Integrative Approach to Healthy Social-Ecological System to Support Increased Resilience of Resource Management in Food-Producing Systems | The study addresses health-associated risks and health indicators required for the framing of Social-Ecological System Health (SESH) in aquaculture food-producing systems. The advantages of using a healthy Social-Ecological System (SES) are highlighted, to aid in the development of a new ecological system fostering the sustainability of aquatic ecosystems. The study used statistic modelling of some human infections with Cryptosporidium spp. and Cyclospora spp., used to obtain an estimate of the costs of zoonoses to health systems, and the outcomes of an epidemiological study involving the Eustrongylides spp. in fish. The study indicated that parasitic zoonoses have an important economic impact on health systems, environment and society at large. Holistic approaches to health, addressing all relevant actors are required to mitigate these impacts. To address the risk of eustrongylides and other fish-, and water-borne zoonoses, the development of new social-ecological system health should be constructed. For aquaculture production, such systems must include a biosecurity plan co-developed and negotiated by all relevant stakeholders. While the system’s feasibility is yet to be validated, regular revision of such systems’ functioning and outputs is an important premise to make them operational. © 2022 by the authors. | aquatic ecosystem; economic impact; epidemiology; health risk; integrated approach; resource management; stakeholder; sustainability | aquatic ecosystems; circular economy; economic impact of zoonoses; One Health; Social-Ecological System Health (SESH) |
| Molecular characterization and genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii in free-living animals in Iran: Effect of One Health | To understand the transmission of Toxoplasma gondii, this parasite’s genetic diversity distribution in free-living hosts is essential. This research’s objective is the molecular genotyping of T. gondii isolates from the brain and muscles of Columbidae, Corvidae, Rattus, and Felidae of Mianeh County, East-Azerbaijan Province, Northwest Iran. Three hundred fifty samples were taken. For the genotyping of T. gondii, the GRA6 gene was amplified and digested by the Tru1I (MseI) enzyme. Results of RFLP were confirmed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. In total, 52%, 34%, 24%, and 50% of Columbidae, Corvidae, Rattus, and Felidae were positive for T. gondii DNA, respectively. All isolated Columbidae were identified as genotype III (100%). Also, 94.1% and 5.9% of Corvidae isolates, 84.4% and 15.6% of the Rattus isolates, and 51.7% and 48.3% of the Felidae isolates belonged to genotypes III and II, respectively. This study is the first to evaluate genetic similarity and phylogenetic analysis between many definitive and intermediated hosts in northwestern Iran. The finding indicates that the T. gondii cycle is maintained among these hosts. As a result, their presence in the environment can be a risk factor for transmitting the infection to humans. Due to demographic and geographic differences in various regions, further studies are required to determine the genetic population structure. © 2022 Elsevier B.V. | Animals; Columbidae; Felidae; Genotype; Humans; Iran; One Health; Phylogeny; Rats; Toxoplasma; agglutination test; amino acid sequence; Article; bacterium isolation; controlled study; demography; DNA extraction; gene amplification; gene frequency; genetic polymorphism; genetic similarity; genetic variability; genotype; genotyping; nested polymerase chain reaction; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; phylogenetic tree; polymerase chain reaction; polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism; population structure; restriction fragment length polymorphism; risk factor; sequence analysis; sequence homology; Toxoplasma gondii; toxoplasmosis; animal; case report; Columbidae; epidemiology; Felidae; genetics; human; Iran; One Health; phylogeny; rat; Toxoplasma | Columbidae; Corvidae; Felidae; Genotype; Iran; One Health; PCR-RFLP; Rattus; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis |
| Exploring why animal health practices are (not) adopted among smallholders in low and middle-income countries: a realist framework and scoping review protocol | Background: Improving livestock health is considered critical to address poverty, malnutrition and food insecurity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Modifications of livestock management practices is also increasingly recognized as an important strategy to mitigate global threats such as climate change and novel disease emergence. Smallholders are, however, under various constraints which prohibit them from altering health practices for livestock and little is known about how the adoption of these practices may be promoted. The proposed scoping review aims to systematically map evidence around “what practices are (not) adopted by smallholders under what circumstances, how and why?.” Method and analysis: We conducted initial scoping searches to broadly define types of animal health practices relevant for smallholders in LMICs and formulated search terms. A scoping review protocol was designed and registered. A systematic literature search will be conducted using electronic databases including CAB Abstract, Scopus, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science Core Collection. Gray literature will be searched from AGRIS and Standards for Supporting Agricultural Livelihoods in Emergencies. Articles in English, pertaining to the animal health practices considered highly relevant will be considered eligible for inclusion. Articles will be screened at two stages by two independent reviewers; screening of titles, abstracts, and keywords, followed by full-article screening. The first reviewer will review 100% of the articles at both stages. The second reviewer will review a random sample of 20% of the articles at both stages. Any disagreements will be resolved using inputs from the third reviewer. A thematic analysis will be conducted to catalog contexts and mechanisms for adoption and discussed under a realist framework. Discussion: Understanding of the mechanisms underlying the adoption of animal health practices by livestock smallholders in LMICs is crucial for successful implementation of interventions including those which are based on a One Health approach. This review will identify the extent of this knowledge across disciplines and inform future research priorities for the design of effective and feasible interventions which can contribute toward Sustainable Development Goal 2. Registration: This protocol is registered within the Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/FUQAX). Copyright © 2022 Hidano, Holt, Durrance-Bagale, Tak and Rudge. | animal health; Article; data base; health service; livestock; low income country; middle income country; nonhuman; One Health; random sample; research priority; sustainable development goal; thematic analysis | adoption; intervention; livestock; LMICs; One Health; realist synthesis; smallholders; uptake |
| Perception of poultry veterinarians on the use of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance in egg production | This study aimed to describe the perception of veterinarians who work with commercial laying hens in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, regarding the use of antibiotics and their possible impacts on animal, human, and environmental health. A descriptive epidemiological study was carried out through face-to-face or web conferencing interviews with the veterinarians that provide technical assistance at commercial laying hen operations. A standardized and structured questionnaire was developed based on the literature and expert opinion, which contained 1 opened and 40 closed questions. Conventional non-probabilistic sampling was used, based on an initial list of 15 veterinarians registered in the Poultry Production Association of Rio Grande do Sul, followed by the snowball technique. The acquisition of 26 contacts of veterinarians was accomplished, and 16 were interviewed. Through the answers obtained it was possible to verify that the interviewees’ understanding regarding both the antibiotic resistance impact and the decision-making about the use of antibiotics seem to be linked to their practical experiences. Besides that, according to the veterinarians, farmers can acquire and administer the antimicrobials on their farms. Moreover, both farm storage and administration of lower doses of antibiotics than the recommended one could be contributing factors to resistant bacteria selection. Furthermore, controversially, the professionals believed that resistant bacteria can be transmitted to humans from eggs, but they said that there are no bacteria in eggs. Therefore, the veterinarians´ practices can be improved considering national and international guidelines on antimicrobial resistance to minimize the development of resistance. Finally, it is expected that the present results will contribute to a more complex discussion about antimicrobial resistance, helping to formulate public policies in the egg production industry. © 2022 The Authors | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Chickens; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Female; Humans; Ovum; Perception; Poultry; Veterinarians; antiinfective agent; animal; antibiotic resistance; chicken; female; human; ovum; perception; poultry; psychology; veterinarian | antibiotics; knowledge/awareness; laying hens; One Health |
| A treaty to break the pandemic cycle | [No abstract available] | International Cooperation; Pandemics; COVID-19; trade agreement; World Health Organization; Article; coronavirus disease 2019; disease burden; evidence based medicine; health care access; health care system; legal aspect; monitoring; One Health; pandemic; planetary health; politics; risk assessment; vulnerable population; World Health Organization; international cooperation; pandemic |
| One health genomic surveillance and response to a university-based outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta AY.25 lineage, Arizona, 2021 | Genomic surveillance and wastewater tracking strategies were used to strengthen the public health response to an outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta AY.25 lineage associated with a university campus in Arizona. Epidemiologic and clinical data routinely gathered through contact tracing were matched to SARS-CoV-2 genomes belonging to an outbreak of AY.25 identified through ongoing phylogenomic analyses. Continued phylogenetic analyses were conducted to further describe the AY.25 outbreak. Wastewater collected twice weekly from sites across campus was tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR, and subsequently sequenced to identify variants. The AY.25 outbreak was defined by a single mutation (C18804T) and comprised 379 genomes from SARS-CoV-2 positive cases associated with the university and community. Several undergraduate student gatherings and congregate living settings on campus likely contributed to the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the university with secondary transmission into the community. The clade defining mutation was also found in wastewater samples collected from around student dormitories a week before the semester began, and 9 days before cases were identified. Genomic, epidemiologic, and wastewater surveillance provided evidence that an AY.25 clone was likely imported into the university setting just prior to the onset of the Fall 2021 semester, rapidly spread through a subset of the student population, and then subsequent spillover occurred in the surrounding community. The university and local public health department worked closely together to facilitate timely reporting of cases, identification of close contacts, and other necessary response and mitigation strategies. The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants and potential threat of other infectious disease outbreaks on university campuses presents an opportunity for future comprehensive One Health genomic data driven, targeted interventions. Copyright: © 2022 Yaglom 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. | Arizona; COVID-19; Disease Outbreaks; Genomics; Humans; One Health; Phylogeny; SARS-CoV-2; Universities; Waste Water; Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring; adult; Arizona; Article; communicable disease; controlled study; coronavirus disease 2019; epidemic; female; genome analysis; human; major clinical study; male; middle aged; One Health; phylogenomics; public health surveillance; real time polymerase chain reaction; SARS-CoV-2 Delta; undergraduate student; university; virus strain; virus transmission; wastewater; wastewater-based epidemiology; young adult; Arizona; epidemic; epidemiology; genetics; genomics; phylogeny |
| The landscape of antimicrobial resistance in the neonatal and multi-host pathogen group B Streptococcus: review from a One Health perspective | Group B Streptococcus (GBS) stands out as a major agent of pediatric disease in humans, being responsible for 392,000 invasive disease cases and 91,000 deaths in infants each year across the world. Moreover, GBS, also known as Streptococcus agalactiae, is an important agent of infections in animal hosts, notably cattle and fish. GBS population structure is composed of multiple clades that differ in virulence, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and niche adaptation; however, there is growing evidence of interspecies transmission, both from evolutionary analysis and from disease investigations. The prevention of GBS infections through vaccination is desirable in humans as well as animals because it reduces the burden of GBS disease and reduces our reliance on antimicrobials, and the risk of adverse reactions or selection for AMR. In this perspective article, we navigate through the landscape of AMR in the pediatric and multi-host pathogen GBS under the One Health perspective and discuss the use of antimicrobials to control GBS disease, the evolution of AMR in the GBS population, and the future perspectives of resistant GBS infections in the post-pandemic era. Copyright © 2022 Oliveira, Simões, Costa, Zadoks and Pinto. | tetracycline; animal experiment; antibiotic prophylaxis; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic sensitivity; Article; bacterial gene; bacterial infection; bacterial virulence; bacterium isolate; bovine; controlled study; coronavirus disease 2019; group B streptococcal infection; host pathogen interaction; immunization; molecular epidemiology; multidrug resistance; multilocus sequence typing; newborn; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; population structure; prevalence; risk factor; Streptococcus agalactiae; systematic review; whole genome sequencing | antimicrobial resistance; COVID-19; group B Streptococcus; One Health; pediatric bacterial infection |
| The successful use of -omic technologies to achieve the ‘One Health’ concept in meat producing animals | Human health and wellbeing are closely linked to healthy domestic animals, a vital wildlife, and an intact ecosystem. This holistic concept is referred to as ‘One Health’. In this review, we provide an overview of the potential and the challenges for the use of modern -omics technologies, especially transcriptomics and proteomics, to implement the ‘One Health’ idea for food-producing animals. These high-throughput studies offer opportunities to find new potential molecular biomarkers to monitor animal health, detect pharmacological interventions and evaluate the wellbeing of farm animals in modern intensive livestock systems. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd | Animals; Animals, Wild; Ecosystem; Humans; Livestock; Meat; Proteomics; Agriculture; Biomarkers; Molecular biology; Veterinary medicine; Animal welfare; Antimicrobial resistances; Cell count; High resolution; High resolution differential cell count; Molecular biomarker; Omics technologies; One health; Proteomics; Transcriptomics; animal; ecosystem; human; livestock; meat; proteomics; wild animal; Animals | Animal welfare; Antimicrobial resistance; High resolution differential cell count; Molecular biomarkers; One Health; Proteomics; Transcriptomics |
| Evolution of Chlorhexidine Susceptibility and of the EfrEF Operon among Enterococcus faecalis from Diverse Environments, Clones, and Time Spans | Chlorhexidine (CHX) is widely used to control the spread of pathogens (e.g., human/animal clinical settings, ambulatory care, food industry). Enterococcus faecalis, a major nosocomial pathogen, is broadly distributed in diverse hosts and environments facilitating its exposure to CHX over the years. Nevertheless, CHX activity against E. faecalis is understudied. Our goal was to assess CHX activity and the variability of ChlR-EfrEF proteins (associated with CHX tolerance) among 673 field isolates and 1,784 E. faecalis genomes from the PATRIC database from different sources, time spans, clonal lineages, and antibiotic-resistance profiles. The CHX MIC (MICCHX) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBCCHX) against E. faecalis presented normal distributions (0.5 to 64 mg/L). However, more CHX-tolerant isolates were detected in the food chain and recent human infections, suggesting an adaptability of E. faecalis populations in settings where CHX is heavily used. Heterogeneity in ChlR-EfrEF sequences was identified, with isolates harboring incomplete ChlR-EfrEF proteins, particularly the EfrE identified in the ST40 clonal lineage, showing low MICCHX (#1mg/L). Distinct ST40-E. faecalis subpopulations carrying truncated and nontruncated EfrE were detected, with the former being predominant in human isolates. This study provides a new insight about CHX susceptibility and ChlR-EfrEF variability within diverse E. faecalis populations. The MICCHX/MBCCHX of more tolerant E. faecalis (MICCHX = 8 mg/L; MBCCHX = 64 mg/L) remain lower than in-use concentrations of CHX ($500 mg/L). However, increased CHX use, combined with concentration gradients occurring in diverse environments, potentially selecting multidrug-resistant strains with different CHX susceptibilities, signals the importance of monitoring the trends of E. faecalis CHX tolerance within a One Health approach. © 2022 Pereira et al. | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Chlorhexidine; Clone Cells; Disinfectants; Enterococcus faecalis; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Operon; bacterial protein; chlorhexidine gluconate; EfrEF protein; unclassified drug; antiinfective agent; chlorhexidine; disinfectant agent; amino acid sequence; antibiotic resistance; antimicrobial activity; Article; Bacillota; bacterial evolution; bacterial gene; bacterial genome; bacterial strain; bacterium isolate; clonal evolution; concentration response; controlled study; drug sensitivity; drug tolerance; EfrEF gene; Enterococcus faecalis; environmental factor; evolutionary adaptation; Firmicutes; food chain; genetic correlation; genetic database; genetic heterogeneity; genetic variability; human; microbial population dynamics; minimum bactericidal concentration; minimum inhibitory concentration; multidrug resistance; nonhuman; normal distribution; operon; phenotype; phylogenetic tree; population structure; protein analysis; time factor; time span; animal; cell clone; Enterococcus faecalis; genetics; metabolism; microbial sensitivity test; operon | Bacillota (former Firmicutes); biocide; minimum bactericidal concentration; minimum inhibitory concentration; One Health |
| Importance of Host Abundance and Microhabitat in Tick Abundance | To reduce the risk of zoonoses, it is necessary to understand the infection process, including the ecology of animals and vectors (i.e., the ‘One Health’ approach). In temperate climates, ticks are the major vectors of zoonoses, so factors determining their abundance, such as host mammal abundance and microhabitat conditions, should be clarified. Sika deer (Cervus nippon) are a major tick host and are rapidly expanding their distribution in Japan. We established 12 plots along a gradient of sika deer abundance in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. We monitored the occurrence of mammal species with camera traps and sampled questing ticks on a monthly basis by flagging along three transects (center of a trail, forest edge, and forest interior) at each site from April to November 2018. The camera traps recorded 12 mammal species, predominantly sika deer. Five Haemaphysalis species and three Ixodes species were sampled. The numbers of ticks sampled were explained by the photographic frequency of sika deer, and partly by that of other mammal species, depending on tick species and their developmental stages. The numbers of sampled adult and nymphal ticks were the highest at the forest edge, where vegetation cover was greatest. Thus, vegetation management in tick habitats and the control of sika deer populations may reduce tick abundance. © The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. | Animals; Deer; Ixodes; Ixodidae; Nymph; Zoonoses; animal; deer; Ixodes; Ixodidae; nymph; zoonosis | fencing; forest edge; One Health; sika deer; vegetation management; wildlife population management |
| Biodiversity Agenda Congruent with ‘One Health’: Focusing on CBD, FAO, and WHO | The decrease in biodiversity occurs across national borders and has mutual influences on food and health. In this study, we analyzed the links and relationships between the decisions made by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)—the highest decision-making bodies in each field—from 1994 to 2018. We aimed to determine how each regime related to the decisions of others and identify the critical agendas that mediate the three regimes. Consequently, critical agendas, including agricultural biodiversity, taxonomy, traditional knowledge, access and benefit sharing, antimicrobial resistance, and marine biodiversity, were observed. In the order of degree centrality, the top six agendas were discussed in terms of the cooperation history of ‘One Health’ and its implications. © 2022 by the authors. | biodiversity; decision making; disease prevalence; Food and Agricultural Organization; United Nations; World Health Organization | biodiversity; Convention on Biological Diversity; disease; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; One Health; World Health Organization |
| BSAC Vanguard Series: Tracking the global rise of antimicrobial resistance | One of the major challenges for tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is understanding the true burden of resistance and its impact on human health, particularly in locations where surveillance is minimal and data are sparse. The Global Research on AntiMicrobial resistance (GRAM) Project was launched to address these gaps. The scale of the challenge was considerable, but after 4 years of developing a stringent methodological approach and collecting/analysing data from many different sources, the capstone GRAM paper was published in January 2022. This article discusses the key findings and reviews the challenges in scaling-up AMR surveillance systems in a One Health framework. The GRAM Project represents a critical first-step in obtaining the accurate data that are needed to correctly target actions to control AMR. © The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. | Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Humans; One Health; antiinfective agent; antibiotic resistance; human; One Health |
| Pharmaceutics for free-ranging wildlife: Case studies to illustrate considerations and future prospects | Wildlife medicine is a specialised division of veterinary medicine that is concerned with patients that are physiologically very diverse with similarly diverse life histories. The medicines to be delivered to wildlife parallel those used in other areas of veterinary medicine and human medicine, however species-specific information on drug administration is lacking for wildlife species. Currently there are numerous threats of extinction to wildlife globally due to climate change and habitat destruction. The COVID-19 pandemic has also made us acutely aware of the important link between human health and wildlife health and how zoonotic diseases can cause devastating impacts globally. Consequently, the ability to effectively treat this group of animals with therapeutic compounds is becoming increasingly more critical. Importantly, delivery of therapeutics to wildlife is a particular challenge that must be overcome. The objective is to highlight the area of wildlife therapeutics as an emerging field by presenting case studies to illustrate the opportunities for engagement of pharmaceutical scientists in this fascinating frontier of research. The case studies included are avian malaria in yellow-eyed penguins, transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devils, and the vaccination of wildlife for the control of SARS-Cov-2 transmission. © 2022 | Animals; Animals, Wild; Biopharmaceutics; COVID-19; Humans; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 vaccine; vaccine; Article; avian malaria; coronavirus disease 2019; devil facial tumor disease; drug delivery system; marsupial; nonhuman; One Health; penguin; Sarcophilus harrisii; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; vaccination; veterinary medicine; virus transmission; wildlife; zoonosis; animal; human; pandemic; pharmaceutics; wild animal | Delivery; Dose; One health; Pharmacokinetics; Tasmanian devil; Vaccines; Yellow-eyed penguin; Zoonoses |
| Understanding Community Perceptions of the St. Kitts’ “Monkey Problem” by Adapting Harm Reduction Concepts and Methods | Wicked problems in One Health are associated with dynamicity and uncertainty that require experts, authorities and community members to reach for innovative means of collective inquiry, and collaborative interventions to address the deep social issues at the root of interspecies problems. In this study we explore the value of harm reduction concepts to understand a hundreds of year old issue, the St. Kitts’ “monkey problem,” which involves the invasive African green monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus) as the cause of deleterious effects on agriculture, but concurrent positive effects on tourism and biomedical research. The harm reduction approach, a systems and settings-based approach with decades of success in public health, can serve as a framework to produce action on persistent societal problems. Harm reduction concepts and methods and participatory epidemiology were used to uncover local perceptions about human-monkey interactions and “meet people where they are” by asking the research question: Are there commonalities in perceptions and values linked to the St. Kitts’ “monkey problem” that are shared across diverse representatives of society that can act as a common starting place to launch collaborative responses to this invasive species? Through a series of focus group activities and interviews we found that the Kittitian “monkey problem” is a contentious and dichotomous problem pervasive in most of society that has no single stakeholders nor one solution. Harm reduction helped to map the island’s human-monkey system and elucidated an entry point toward tackling this problem through the identification of shared values, and also provided a model for incremental gains that may be achieved. Likening the St. Kitts “monkey problem” to a wicked problem enabled stakeholders to seek more options to manage the problem rather than to conclusively solve it. Frequently mentioned shared values including the protection of farmer crops and backyard harvests likely represent strong entry points to this problem and a jumping-off point to begin collective action toward future improvements. Copyright © 2022 Gallagher, Hervé-Claude, Cruz-Martinez and Stephen. | African green monkey; harm reduction; invasive species; non-human primate management; One Health; participatory epidemiology; pest control; wicked problem |
| Transdisciplinarity of India’s master’s level public health programmes: evidence from admission criteria of the programmes offered since 1995 | Introduction: In the Indian subcontinent, Master’s-level Public Health (MlPH) programmes attract graduates of diverse academic disciplines from health and non-health sciences alike. Considering the current and futuristic importance of the public health cadre, we described them and reviewed their transdisciplinarity status based on MlPH admissibility criteria 1995 to 2021. Methods: Using a search strategy, we abstracted information available in the public domain on MlPH programmes and their admissibility criteria. We categorized the admission criteria based on specified disciplines into Health science, Non-health science and Non-health non-science categories. We described the MlPH programmes by location, type of institution, course duration, curriculum, pedagogical methods, specializations offered, and nature of admission criteria statements. We calculated descriptive statistics for eligible educational qualifications for MlPH admission. Results: Overall, 76 Indian institutions (Medical colleges—21 and Non-medical coleges—55) offered 92 MlPH programmes (Private—58 and Public—34). We included 89 for review. These programmes represent a 51% increase (n = 47) from 2016 to 2021. They are mostly concentrated in 21 Indian provinces. These programmes stated that they admit candidates of but not limited to “graduation in any life sciences”, “3-year bachelor’s degree in any discipline”, “graduation from any Indian universities”, and “graduation in any discipline”. Among the health science disciplines, Modern medicine (n = 89; 100%), Occupational therapy (n = 57; 64%) is the least eligible. Among the non-health science disciplines, life sciences and behavioural sciences (n = 53; 59%) and non-health non-science disciplines, humanities and social sciences (n = 62; 72%) are the topmost eligible disciplines for admission in the MPH programmes. Conclusion: Our review suggests that India’s MlPH programmes are less transdisciplinary. Relatively, non-medical institutions offer admission to various academic disciplines than the medical institutions in their MlPH programmes. India’s Master’s level public health programmes could be more inclusive by opening to graduates from trans-disciplinary backgrounds. © 2022, The Author(s). | Curriculum; Humans; India; Public Health; Universities; curriculum; education; human; India; public health; university | Accreditation; Education; Health systems; Health workforce; Interdisciplinary placement; One health; Public health; Public health practice; Universities |
| Surveillance of WHO Priority Gram-Negative Pathogenic Bacteria in Effluents from Two Seafood Processing Facilities in Tema, Ghana, 2021 and 2022: A Descriptive Study | Antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria in effluents from seafood processing facilities can contribute to the spread of AMR in the natural environment. In this study conducted in Tema, Ghana, a total of 38 effluent samples from two seafood processing facilities were collected during 2021 and 2022, as part of a pilot surveillance project to ascertain the bacterial load, bacterial species and their resistance to 15 antibiotics belonging to the WHO AWaRe group of antibiotics. The bacterial load in the effluent samples ranged from 13–1800 most probable number (MPN)/100 mL. We identified the following bacterial species: E. coli in 31 (82%) samples, K. pneumoniae in 15 (39%) samples, Proteus spp. in 6 (16%) samples, P. aeruginosa in 2 (5%) samples and A. baumannii in 2 (5%) samples. The highest levels of antibiotic resistance (100%) were recorded for ampicillin and cefuroxime among Enterobacteriaceae. The WHO priority pathogens—E. coli (resistant to cefotaxime, ceftazidime and carbapenem) and K. pneumoniae (resistant to ceftriaxone)—were found in 5 (13%) effluent samples. These findings highlight the need for enhanced surveillance to identify the source of AMR and multi-drug resistant bacteria and an adoption of best practices to eliminate these bacteria in the ecosystem of the seafood processing facilities. © 2022 by the authors. | Ghana; Greater Accra; Tema; amikacin; ampicillin; cefepime; cefotaxime; ceftazidime; ceftriaxone; cefuroxime; ciprofloxacin; gentamicin; imipenem; levofloxacin; meropenem; tetracycline; antibiotics; drug resistance; effluent; pathogenicity; World Health Organization; Acinetobacter baumannii; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic sensitivity; Article; bacterial growth; bacterial load; bacterium isolation; cross-sectional study; ecosystem; effluent; Enterobacter aerogenes; Enterobacteriaceae; Escherichia coli; Ghana; Klebsiella pneumoniae; minimum inhibitory concentration; molecular pathology; multidrug resistant bacterium; nonhuman; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas putida; sea food; World Health Organization; zone of inhibition | antimicrobial resistance; effluent; Environmental Protection Agency-Ghana; One Health; operational research; seafood processing facilities; SORT IT; surveillance; WHO priority pathogens |
| Crossover-Use of Human Antibiotics in Livestock in Agricultural Communities: A Qualitative Cross-Country Comparison between Uganda, Tanzania and India | Antibiotic use in animal agriculture contributes significantly to antibiotic use globally and is a key driver of the rising threat of antibiotic resistance. It is becoming increasingly important to better understand antibiotic use in livestock in low-and-middle income countries where antibiotic use is predicted to increase considerably as a consequence of the growing demand for animal-derived products. Antibiotic crossover-use refers to the practice of using antibiotic formulations licensed for humans in animals and vice versa. This practice has the potential to cause adverse drug reactions and contribute to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance between humans and animals. We performed secondary data analysis of in-depth interview and focus-group discussion transcripts from independent studies investigating antibiotic use in agricultural communities in Uganda, Tanzania and India to understand the practice of antibiotic crossover-use by medicine-providers and livestock-keepers in these settings. Thematic analysis was conducted to explore driving factors of reported antibiotic crossover-use in the three countries. Similarities were found between countries regarding both the accounts of antibiotic crossover-use and its drivers. In all three countries, chickens and goats were treated with human antibiotics, and among the total range of human antibiotics reported, amoxicillin, tetracycline and penicillin were stated as used in animals in all three countries. The key themes identified to be driving crossover-use were: (1) medicine-providers’ and livestock-keepers’ perceptions of the effectiveness and safety of antibiotics, (2) livestock-keepers’ sources of information, (3) differences in availability of human and veterinary services and antibiotics, (4) economic incentives and pressures. Antibiotic crossover-use occurs in low-intensity production agricultural settings in geographically distinct low-and-middle income countries, influenced by a similar set of interconnected contextual drivers. Improving accessibility and affordability of veterinary medicines to both livestock-keepers and medicine-providers is required alongside interventions to address understanding of the differences between human and animal antibiotics, and potential dangers of antibiotic crossover-use in order to reduce the practice. A One Health approach to studying antibiotic use is necessary to understand the implications of antibiotic accessibility and use in one sector upon antibiotic use in other sectors. © 2022 by the authors. | amoxicillin; antibiotic agent; ceftriaxone; cephalosporin; chloramphenicol; doxycycline; enrofloxacin; fluoroquinolone; macrolide; metronidazole; norfloxacin; oxytetracycline; penicillin amidase; penicillin derivative; tetracycline; unclassified drug; agricultural management; anemia; antibiotic resistance; antimicrobial stewardship; Article; attitude to health; controlled study; cross-sectional study; drug formulation; drug safety; drug toxicity; economic incentive; health care cost; health care facility; health care personnel; health promotion; India; knowledge; livestock; nonhuman; perception; pharmacist; pharmacy (shop); qualitative analysis; Tanzania; thematic analysis; Uganda; veterinarian; veterinary medicine | antibiotic resistance; antibiotic stewardship; antibiotic use; crossover-use; India; One Health; qualitative; Tanzania; Uganda |
| First report of Giardia duodenalis assemblage F in humans and dogs in southern Brazil | The present study aimed to molecularly characterize Giardia duodenalis from stool samples of humans, dogs, and cats. Molecular analyses were performed on 59 samples that tested positive for G. duodenalis on coproparasitological examinations. After extraction, the samples were first tested by nested polymerase chain reaction (n-PCR) analysis of the SSU-rRNA gene, and for the samples that were positive, the β-giardin, TPI, and GDH genes were analyzed. The amplicons obtained in the n-PCR of the β-giardin gene were subjected to PCR-restriction length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis and subsequent digestion with the enzyme HaeIII to differentiate the assemblages. Seven (11.8 %), 34 (57.7 %), and 18 (30.5 %) out of 59 samples were from humans, dogs, and cats, respectively. Nested-PCR results showed that 49.2 % (29/59) of samples were positive for the SSU-rRNA gene, with 42.9 % (3/7) of humans, 55.9 % (19/34) of dogs, and 38.9 % (7/18) of catsve. Of the other genes analyzed, β-giardin was amplified most frequently, in 34.5 % (10/29) of samples, followed by GDH in 27.6 % (8/29) of samples, and TPI in 10.3 % (3/29) of samples. Only one sample from a dog showed the amplification of all genes. PCR-RFLP analysis showed assemblage F in a human, dog, and cat samples; and assemblage C and D in dog samples. This is the first description of assemblage F in humans from Brazil and the first description of assemblage F in dogs. Further studies are needed to verify the frequency with which these infections occur, and provide information that will contribute to the molecular epidemiological understanding of giardiasis. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd | Animals; Brazil; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Feces; Genotype; Giardia lamblia; Giardiasis; Humans; beta giardin; glutamate dehydrogenase; triosephosphate isomerase; unclassified drug; adult; amplicon; animal experiment; Article; assemblage F; cat; child; DNA extraction; dog; extraction; feces; female; flotation; gene; gene amplification; Giardia intestinalis; human; male; molecular diagnosis; nested polymerase chain reaction; nonhuman; parasitological parameters; phylogenetic tree; polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; polymerase chain reaction; polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism; sequence alignment; zoonosis; animal; Brazil; dog disease; genetics; genotype; giardiasis; veterinary medicine | Giardiasis; Molecular diagnosis; One health; Zoonosis |
| Zoonoses Transfer, Factory Farms and Unsustainable Human–Animal Relations | Infectious diseases are rooted in unsustainable and unjust human–animal relationships. Zoonoses are facilitated by human proximity to animals, epidemiological risk embedded within factory farms, and exploitation of animals and humans in these intensive livestock production systems. The five major categories of epidemiological risk that factory farms propel include: intensification of production for which homogenous populations are congregated, creation of multi-species farms for which different animals are held within the same farm, long and intensive animal transport increases the likelihood of interaction with other wildlife, ecological characteristics of the pathogen lead to altered pathogen dynamics and antibiotic resistance within a human population through the overuse of antibiotics. Layer and broiler operations in the North American context illustrate these linkages. One Health is offered as a concluding conceptual and aspirational frame for pursuing a more sustainable and just world. This article offers two main messages. First, our relationships with animals directly impact the health of human populations through the transmission and creation of Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs). Second, adopting One Health offers a means forward for more just and sustainable human–animal relations and reduction of zoonoses transmission. © 2022 by the authors. | epidemiology; farm; infectious disease; livestock farming; poultry | infectious disease; livestock production; One Health; poultry |
| Acinetobacter baumannii Sampled from Cattle and Pigs Represent Novel Clones | Acinetobacter baumannii is a very important human pathogen. Nonetheless, we know very little about nonhuman isolates of A. baumannii. Here, we determine the genomic identity of 15 Scottish cattle and pig isolates, as well as their antibiotic and virulence genetic determinants, and compare them with 148 genomes from the main human clinical international clones. Our results demonstrate that cattle and pig isolates represent novel clones well separated from the major international clones. Furthermore, these new clones showed fewer antibiotic resistance genes and may have fewer virulence genes than human clinical isolates. © 2022 Mateo-Estrada et al. | virulence factor; Acinetobacter baumannii; allele; antibiotic resistance; Article; bacterial virulence; bacterium isolate; bovine; clone; controlled study; genetic identification; genomics; nonhuman; One Health; phylogeny; pig | Acinetobacter baumannii; animal isolates; antibiotic resistance; bacterial clones; genome epidemiology; One Health |
| Molecular detection of Helicobacter spp. and Fusobacterium gastrosuis in pigs and wild boars and its association with gastric histopathological alterations | Besides Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative bacterium that may cause gastric disorders in humans, non-Helicobacter pylori helicobacters (NHPH) may also colonize the stomach of humans and animals. In pigs, H. suis can induce gastritis and may play a role in gastric ulcer disease, possibly in association with Fusobacterium gastrosuis. In the present study, gastric samples from 71 slaughtered pigs and 14 hunted free range wild boars were tested for the presence of DNA of F. gastrosuis and gastric Helicobacter species associated with pigs, dogs cats and humans, using species-specific PCR assays, followed by sequencing of the amplicon. These gastric samples were also histopathologically evaluated. Almost all the pigs presented gastritis (95.8%). Helicobacter spp. were detected in 78.9% and F. gastrosuis in 35.2% of the animals. H. suis was the most frequently identified Helicobacter species (57.7% of the animals), followed by a H. pylori-like species (50.7%) and less often H. salomonis and H. felis (each in 2.8% of the animals). H. suis was most often detected in the glandular (distal) part of the stomach (pars oesophagea 9.9%, oxyntic mucosa 35.2%, antral mucosa 40.8%), while the H. pylori-like species was mainly found in the non-glandular (proximal) part of the stomach (pars oesophagea 39.4%, oxyntic mucosa 14.1%, antral mucosa 4.2%). The great majority of wild boars were also affected with gastritis (71.4%) and Helicobacter spp. and F. gastrosuis were detected in 64.3% and 42.9% of the animals, respectively. H. bizzozeronii and H. salomonis were the most frequently detected Helicobacter species, while a H. pylori-like species and H. suis were only occasionally identified. These findings suggest that these microorganisms can colonize the stomach of both porcine species and may be associated with gastric pathology. This should, however, be confirmed through bacterial isolation. This is the first description of the presence of F. gastrosuis DNA in the stomach of wild boars and a H. pylori-like species in the pars oesophagea of the porcine stomach. © 2022. The Author(s). | Animals; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Fusobacterium; Gastric Mucosa; Gastritis; Helicobacter; Helicobacter Infections; Helicobacter pylori; Humans; Sus scrofa; Swine; Swine Diseases; animal; dog; dog disease; Fusobacterium; gastritis; genetics; Helicobacter; Helicobacter infection; Helicobacter pylori; human; microbiology; pig; stomach mucosa; swine disease; veterinary medicine | gastric pathology; gastritis; One Health; stomach; Sus scrofa |
| Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Drinking Water from the Greater Accra Region, Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study, December 2021–March 2022 | With safely managed water accessible to only 19% of the population in Ghana, the majority of its residents are at risk of drinking contaminated water. Furthermore, this water could be a potential vehicle for the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. This study assessed the presence of bacteria and the antibiotic resistance profile of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in drinking-water sources using membrane filtration and Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion methods. A total of 524 water samples were analyzed for total coliforms, total heterotrophic bacteria, E. coli and P. aeruginosa. Samples included sachets, bottled water, tap water, borehole and well water. Most of the sachet and bottled water samples were within the limits of Ghana’s standards for safe drinking water for the parameters tested. Over 50% of tap and borehole water was also free of E. coli and P. aeruginosa. Overall, of 115 E. coli isolates from tap and ground water samples, most were resistant to cefuroxime (88.7%), trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (62.6%) and amoxicillin–clavulanate (52.2%). P. aeruginosa isolates were most resistant to aztreonam (48%). Multidrug resistance was predominantly seen among E. coli isolates (58%). Evidence from this study calls for routine antimicrobial resistance surveillance in drinking water across the country and additional treatment of water sources at household levels. © 2022 by the authors. | Amoxicillin; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Aztreonam; Bacteria; Cefuroxime; Clavulanic Acid; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drinking Water; Escherichia coli; Ghana; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; Ghana; Greater Accra; amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid; aztreonam; borehole water; bottled water; ceftriaxone; cefuroxime; chloramphenicol; ciprofloxacin; cotrimoxazole; drinking water; ertapenem; gentamicin; piperacillin plus tazobactam; tap water; unclassified drug; well water; amoxicillin; antiinfective agent; clavulanic acid; antibiotic resistance; antimicrobial activity; bacterium; coliform bacterium; drinking water; public health; Sustainable Development Goal; antibiotic resistance; Article; bacterium contamination; bacterium detection; bacterium examination; bacterium isolate; coliform bacterium; controlled study; cross-sectional study; disk diffusion; Escherichia coli; Ghana; household; multidrug resistance; nonhuman; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; sustainable development goal; system analysis; water analysis; water contamination; water sampling; water supply; bacterium; epidemiology; Escherichia coli; Ghana; microbiology | antimicrobial resistance (AMR); multidrug resistance; One Health; operational research; potable water; SORT IT; Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6; West Africa |
| In vitro evaluation of sodium butyrate on the growth of three Salmonella serovars derived from pigs at a mild acidic pH value | Foodborne zoonotic diseases can be transferred into the food chain at the stage of livestock farming. As an emerging public health challenge, practicable reduction measures in porcine health management for Salmonella are constantly being investigated. This in vitro study aimed to determine the influence of six different sodium butyrate (SB) concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mM) on the growth of three different Salmonella enterica serovars at a constant pH value of 6.0, corresponding to conditions in the pig’s hindgut. S. Derby and S. Typhimurium, isolated from a pig farm, and S. Typhimurium DSM 19587, which served as control, were used. Broth microdilution assay was applied to record Salmonella growth in the presence of different SB-concentrations over six different incubation periods (0, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 24 h). Results were quantified in the log colony-forming units (log10 CFU/mL). For 1 h incubation, the addition of SB showed no significant differences in the range of initial Salmonella dose of about 5.7 log10 between concentrations (0–80 mM, 5.26 ± 0.10–5.60 ± 0.07 log10, p > 0.05). After 6 h, for SB addition, the range of Salmonella counts was significantly lower compared to no addition of SB (5–80 mM, p < 0.05), 6.78 ± 0.84–7.90 ± 0.10 log10 for 5 mM, and 7.53 ± 0.04–8.71 ± 0.22 log10 for 0 mM. Moreover, for SB concentrations of 40 and 80 mM, no difference in the range of Salmonella counts over 6 h was obtained (5.23 ± 0.11–5.38 ± 0.05 log10, p > 0.05), and minor Salmonella growth was recorded at the earliest after 24 h incubation. Growth rates for varying SB concentrations and incubation times were confirmed in a similar manner for the three serovars. Obtained results suggest that increasing SB concentrations suppress Salmonella growth for concentrations of 5–20 mM over a 6 h incubation period and for 40 and 80 mM over a 24 h incubation period. When transferring these in vitro findings to the porcine organism, it may be assumed that Salmonella reduction can be achieved by increased butyrate content in the chyme of the large intestine. Copyright © 2022 Hollmann, Lingens, Chuppava, Wilke, Abd El-Wahab, Buch, Hankel, Ahmed and Visscher. | butyrate; emerging infectious diseases; one health; pigs; Salmonella; zoonotic diseases |
| Understanding leptospirosis: application of state-of-the-art molecular typing tools with a One Health lens | Leptospirosis is an archetypal One Health problem as described in the companion Currents in One Health article in the October 2022 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association by Sykes et al. A thorough understanding of leptospirosis requires a detailed analysis of the elaborate interplay among pathogenic leptospiral strains, host species, and the environment. Such an understanding is required to inform appropriate preventative measures including vaccine design, prophylaxis efforts, educational programs that help to reduce exposure to pathogenic spirochetes, as well as policy development. Because of the complex epidemiology of leptospirosis, a One Health approach as defined by the One Health Initiative Task Force is critical—an approach that calls for “the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally, to attain optimal health for people, animals and our environment.” Over the last three decades, progressive advances in cutting-edge molecular typing techniques, as well as our ability to rapidly generate and share large amounts of sequence data through establishment and growth of databases, have been central to accelerating a One Health understanding of the epidemiology of leptospirosis. Nevertheless, our dependence on serotype information because of the serovar-specific nature of current vaccines means that laborious serotyping efforts continue. With the advent of new approaches such as mRNA vaccines that are based on lipopolysac-charide immunogens, sequence-and/or proteomics-based typing methods may replace these methods. © 2022, American Veterinary Medical Association. All rights reserved. | Animals; Humans; Leptospira; Leptospirosis; Molecular Typing; One Health; Serogroup; antigen; DNA 16S; genomic DNA; lipopolysaccharide; messenger RNA; RNA 16S; RNA vaccine; agglutination test; antibiotic resistance; Article; bacterial strain; bacterium identification; bacterium isolate; bacterium isolation; biofilm; cat; dairy cattle; day care; decision making; disease transmission; DNA hybridization; dog; environment; fermentation; food industry; gene sequence; genotyping; high throughput sequencing; human; immunosuppressive treatment; Leptospira; Leptospira borgpetersenii; Leptospira grippotyphosa; Leptospira interrogans; Leptospira kirschneri; Leptospira noguchii; leptospirosis; machine learning; mass spectrometry; matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry; metagenomics; molecular typing; multilocus sequence typing; multiplex polymerase chain reaction; nonhuman; One Health; phenotype; phylogenetic tree; porcupine; prophylaxis; proteomics; pulsed field gel electrophoresis; restriction fragment length polymorphism; seroprevalence; serotype; serotyping; spirochete; vaccination; veterinary medicine; whole genome sequencing; animal; genetics; leptospirosis; molecular typing |
| Continuing Education of Animal Health Professionals in Uganda: A Training Needs Assessment | In Uganda, delivery of veterinary services is vital to animal health and productivity, and is heavily dependent on well-trained and skilled animal health professionals.The purpose of this study was to identify and prioritize areas for refresher training and continuous professional development of animal health professionals (veterinarians and veterinary paraprofessionals), with the overarching aim of improving veterinary service delivery in Uganda. A survey was administered electronically to 311 animal health professionals during the period November 14–30, 2019. Data were collected on relevant parameters including demographics, knowledge on preventive medicine, diagnostics, disease control and treatment, epidemiology, and One Health, as well as participants’ opinions on training priorities, challenges faced, and constraints to veterinary service delivery. Most respondents were veterinarians 26–35 years old, were male, and worked in clinical practice. Lowest perceived knowledge was reported on subjects relating to laboratory diagnostics, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and nutrition. Training topics considered to be of most benefit to respondents included laboratory diagnostics, treatment of common livestock diseases, AMR, and practical clinical skills in reproductive and preventive medicine. Participants preferred to receive training in the form of practical workshops, in-practice training, and external training.This study highlights the need to prioritize training in practical clinical skills, laboratory diagnostics, and AMR.Wet labs and hands-on practical clinical and laboratory skills should be incorporated to enhance training. Provision of targeted and successful trainings will be dependent on the allocation of adequate resources and support by relevant public and private stakeholders across the veterinary sector. © 2022 AAVMC. | Animals; Education, Continuing; Education, Veterinary; Female; Humans; Male; Needs Assessment; Uganda; Veterinarians; adult; animal health; antibiotic resistance; Article; clinical practice; data analysis; demographics; diagnostic procedure; disease control; doctoral education; education; educational status; epidemiological data; female; health care delivery; health care facilities and services; health survey; human; human experiment; laboratory test; male; masters education; non-governmental organization; nutrition; One Health; paraveterinary worker; professional development; questionnaire; social media; training; Uganda; undergraduate education; veterinarian; animal; continuing education; needs assessment | animal health professionals; continuing education; continuous professional development; Uganda; veterinary services; veterinary training |
| A biogeographical description of the wild waterbird species associated with high-risk landscapes of Japanese encephalitis virus in India | Wild reservoirs of Japanese encephalitis virus are under-studied globally, which presents critical knowledge gaps for JEV epidemiology and infection ecology despite decades of received wisdom regarding this high-impact mosquito-borne virus. As a result, ardeid birds, generally understood to be the primary reservoirs for JEV, as well as other waterbirds occupying landscapes at high risk for spillover to humans, are frequently ignored by current surveillance mechanisms and infrastructure. This is particularly true in India, which experiences a high annual burden of human outbreaks. Incorporating wild reservoirs into surveillance of human and livestock populations is therefore essential but will first require a data-driven approach to target individual host species. The current study sought to identify preliminary waterbird target species for JEV surveillance development based on species’ distributions in high-risk landscapes. Twenty-one target species were identified after adjusting species presence and abundance for the biotic constraints of sympatry. Furthermore, ardeid bird species richness demonstrated a strong non-linear association with the distribution of human JEV outbreaks, which suggested areas with the highest ardeid species richness corresponded to low JEV outbreak risk. No association was identified between JEV outbreaks and anatid or rallid richness. The lack of association between Anatidae and Rallidae family-level diversity and JEV outbreak risk notwithstanding, this study did identify several individual species among these two bird families in high-risk landscapes. The findings from this work provide the first data-driven evidence base to inform wildlife sampling for the monitoring of JEV circulation in outbreak hotspots in India and thus identify good preliminary targets for the development of One Health JEV surveillance. © 2022 The Authors. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases published by Wiley-VCH GmbH. | Animals; Birds; Culicidae; Disease Outbreaks; Encephalitis Virus, Japanese; Encephalitis, Japanese; Humans; Article; Bubulcus coromandus; disease surveillance; domestic pig; ecology; geographic distribution; human; India; Japanese encephalitis; Japanese encephalitis virus; landscape; livestock; One Health; population density; prevalence; species distribution; species diversity; species richness; spillover (imaging); sympatry; target organism; time series analysis; vector borne disease; water bird; wildlife; animal; bird; epidemic; genetics; Japanese encephalitis; mosquito; veterinary medicine | infection ecology; Japanese encephalitis; landscape epidemiology; vector-borne disease; wildlife–livestock–human interface |
| Wildlife susceptibility to infectious diseases at global scales | Disease transmission prediction across wildlife is crucial for risk assessment of emerging infectious diseases. Susceptibility of host species to pathogens is influenced by the geographic, environmental, and phylogenetic context of the specific system under study. We used machine learning to analyze how such variables influence pathogen incidence for multihost pathogen assemblages, including one of direct transmission (coronaviruses and bats) and two vector-borne systems (West Nile Virus [WNV] and birds, and malaria and birds). Here we show that this methodology is able to provide reliable global spatial susceptibility predictions for the studied host–pathogen systems, even when using a small amount of incidence information (i.e., <20% of information in a database). We found that avian malaria was mostly affected by environmental factors and by an interaction between phylogeny and geography, and WNV susceptibility was mostly influenced by phylogeny and by the interaction between geographic and environmental distances, whereas coronavirus susceptibility was mostly affected by geography. This approach will help to direct surveillance and field efforts providing cost-effective decisions on where to invest limited resources. Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). | Animals; Animals, Wild; Bird Diseases; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; Phylogeny; West Nile Fever; West Nile virus; Article; avian malaria; disease transmission; environmental factor; geography; host pathogen interaction; incidence; infection; machine learning; nonhuman; One Health; phylogeny; prediction; risk assessment; virus transmission; West Nile virus; wildlife; animal; bird disease; communicable disease; veterinary medicine; West Nile fever; West Nile virus; wild animal | disease risk; emerging infectious diseases; global epidemiology; machine learning; One Health |
| Spatiotemporal Investigation of Antibiotic Resistance in the Urban Water Cycle Influenced by Environmental and Anthropogenic Activity | With increasing emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria (ARB) and the risk this poses to public health, there are growing concerns regarding water pollution contributing to the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through inadequate amenities and the rapid rate of urbanization. In this study, the impact of different anthropogenic factors on the prevalence of AMR in the urban water cycle in Stellenbosch, South Africa (SA) was examined. Carbapenem, colistin, gentamicin and sulfamethoxazole resistant Gram-negative bacteria were recovered by selectively culturing aqueous, biofilm and sediment samples from sites impacted to varying degrees by informal settlements, residential, industrial, and agricultural activities, as well as a municipal wastewater treatment works (WWTW). A metagenomic approach determined community profiles and dominant AMR genes at various sites, while carbapenem resistant colonies were characterized using whole genome sequencing (WGS). Isolates recovered from agricultural sites exhibited relatively high levels of resistance to carbapenems and colistin, whereas sites impacted by domestic run-off had a higher prevalence of resistance to gentamicin and sulfamethoxazole, corresponding to usage data in SA. Similar microbial taxa were identified in raw sewage, sites downstream of informal settlements, and industrial areas that have limited waste removal infrastructure while WWTW were seen to reduce the prevalence of ARB in treated wastewater when operating efficiently. The results indicate the multiple complex drivers underpinning environmental dissemination of AMR and suggest that WWTW assist in removing AMR from the environment, reinforcing the necessity of adequate waste removal infrastructure and antibiotic stewardship measures to mitigate AMR transmission. © 2022 Tucker et al. | Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Anthropogenic Effects; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Carbapenems; Colistin; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Gentamicins; Sewage; Sulfamethoxazole; Waste Water; Water Cycle; carbapenem; colistin; gentamicin; sulfamethoxazole; angiotensin receptor antagonist; antiinfective agent; carbapenem derivative; dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase inhibitor; agricultural land; antibiotic resistance; antimicrobial stewardship; aqueous solution; Article; bacterium culture; biofilm; catchment area (hydrology); cohort analysis; controlled study; environmental factor; environmental impact; Gram negative bacterium; human; human impact (environment); metagenomics; municipal wastewater; nonhuman; prevalence; sediment; South Africa; spatiotemporal analysis; urban area; waste water management; water cycle; whole genome sequencing; sewage; wastewater; water cycle | antimicrobial resistance; metagenomics; one health; surface water; wastewater; wastewater treatment |
| Alternative Paradigms in Animal Health Decisions: A Framework for Treating Animals Not Only as Commodities | Zoonoses are diseases transmitted from (vertebrate) animals to humans in the environment. The control and prevention of these diseases require an appropriate way to measure health value for prudent and well-balanced decisions in public health, production costs, and market values. Currently, the impact of diseases and animal disease control measures are typically assessed in monetary values, thus lacking consideration of other values such as emotional, societal, ecological, among others. Therefore, a framework is proposed that aims to explore, understand, and open up a conversation about the non-monetary value of animals through environmental and normative ethics. This method might help us complement the existing metrics in health, which are currently DALY and zDALY, adding more comprehensive values for animal and human health to the “One Health” approach. As an example of this framework application, participants can choose what they are willing to give in exchange for curing an animal in hypothetical scenarios selecting a human health condition to suffer, the amount of money, and lifetime as a tradeoff. Considering animals beyond their monetary value in public health decisions might contribute to a more rigorous assessment of the burden of zoonotic diseases, among other health decisions. This study is structured as follows: after a brief introduction of zoonoses, animal health, and health metrics, briefly, different environmental health perspectives are presented. Based on this, a framework for animal health decisions is proposed. This framework introduces the “anthropozoocentric interface” based on anthropocentrism and zoocentrism perspectives. © 2022 by the authors. | animal health; Article; conversation; cost effectiveness analysis; deontology; disability-adjusted life year; disease control; environmental health; health care policy; mortality; nonhuman; patient care; public health; quality of life; reliability; validity; veterinary medicine; zoonosis | animal health; environmental ethics; framework; One Health; zoonosis |
| Contemporary Cultural Trade of Lion Body Parts | Trade in lion parts associated with cultural and traditional use is poorly understood. Here we sought to better understand the role and use of lion body parts in the commercial traditional medicine (muthi) trade of South Africa. In 2019 we conducted a semi-structured questionnaire survey of muthi traders (n = 10) and traditional healers (n = 20) which explored the significance and symbolism of lions, traded parts and preferences, sources and supply of lion parts, and perceived sustainability of lion derivatives in the South African muthi trade. Our results suggest a cultural importance of lion associated with the umndawu ancestral spirit in particular, as well as in the training and practice of cultural–spiritual healers. Lion paws and parts thereof were most frequently reported as sold by traders and demanded by healers, correlating with recent trends in body-part removals from lion mortalities. Respondents indicated that lion parts were obtained from a variety of sources including wild lion populations in neighbouring countries and captive-breeding farms. Our findings are discussed relative to current concerns in lion conservation and highlight a need for further understanding of the traditional medicine complex, the influence that ancestral spirits have on lion body-part trade, and increased engagement with traditional medicine stakeholders. © 2022 by the authors. | adult; agricultural land; article; body regions; breeding; clinical article; female; human; human experiment; illegal wildlife trade; lion; male; mortality; nonhuman; One Health; paw; social justice; South Africa; stakeholder engagement; structured questionnaire; symbolism; traditional healer; traditional medicine | ancestral spirits; captive-breeding; conservation policy; illegal wildlife trade; muthi; One Health; Panthera leo; social justice; stakeholder engagement; sustainable use; traditional medicine |
| Waiting for markets to change me—High-stakeholders’ views of antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance in pig production in Brazil | Overuse of veterinary antibiotics is a risk factor for antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is a global public health emergency. More than 70% of the antibiotics consumed worldwide are used in farm animals, mainly in poultry and pig herds. Brazil is the fourth largest pork producer globally and the second-largest user of antibiotics in animals. Qualitative research can help understand the complexities around antibiotic use (AMU) in Brazilian pig herds and identify stakeholders’ attitudes concerning the rational AMU and AMR in the production chain. This study aimed to explore the knowledge and attitudes of high-level professionals in the animal production chain about AMU and AMR in pig farming, the relationship with pig welfare and AMU in Brazil. We conducted 32 in-depth interviews with individuals active in the pig industry. The majority of the participants considered AMU excessive and inappropriate in pig farms in Brazil. However, attitudes toward a restrictive AMU scenario in Brazilian pig farms were predominantly negative, justified by economic, sanitary and social barriers. These included unsatisfactory management and biosecurity conditions in pig farms that, in their opinion, justify AMU to prevent diseases; issues surrounding prescription and acquisition of veterinary drugs; and employment and income relationships arising from the sale of antibiotics. The views of high-level professionals in the Brazilian livestock chain reveal antibiotics as a structural element that enables pig production. Antibiotics were viewed as essential resources for producing cheap food. Foreign markets were considered the most relevant driver of change in AMU practices rather than pressure from Brazilian consumers. A common belief expressed was that AMR is more associated with the inappropriate AMU in human medicine than in the livestock sector. Resistance to change in these stakeholders may hinder the implementation of future public policies to restrict the use of antibiotics in Brazil. Our findings suggest that successful measures to deal with the AMU/AMR challenges in the pig chain shall not be rooted in personal behavior change. Instead, honest interdisciplinary dialogues and structural changes are needed to define common grounds and a way forward to break the cycle perpetuating antibiotics as structural commodities. Copyright © 2022 Albernaz-Gonçalves, Olmos Antillón and Hötzel. | antibiotic agent; veterinary drug; animal welfare; antibiotic resistance; Article; behavior change; biosecurity; Brazil; Brazilian; consumer; drug use; employment; human; income; livestock; market; nonhuman; One Health; pig; prescription; pressure; public policy | AMR; AMU; animal welfare; One Health; polices; professionals; swine |
| Risk-based control of Campylobacter spp. in broiler farms and slaughtered flocks to mitigate risk of human campylobacteriosis – A One Health approach | Effects of risk-based control of Campylobacter spp. in Danish broiler farms and flocks were simulated, to assess potential reductions of human risk of campylobacteriosis, associated to the consumption of poultry meat produced in Denmark. Two national data streams were used and represented: Flock status by testing cloacal swabs (CS, 2018–2019) and carcass status by testing leg skin samples (LS, 2019). In the CS surveillance component all flocks slaughtered at the two major Danish slaughterhouses were tested with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), while in LS one third randomly selected flocks were tested by culture (results in colony forming units per gram, cfu/g). Each farm was identified by its Central Husbandry Register (CHR) number. Two risk farm classification strategies (I-II) were based on CS data from 2018. Farms were classified as: always negative (Neg-CHRs), low risk (LowR-CHRs) and high risk (HighR-CHRs) farms. In strategy I, HighR-CHRs had more than five positive flocks, while in strategy II; they had more than 27.8% of the slaughtered flocks positive. Those two cut-offs were the annual 3rd quartiles across positive farms. Thereafter, a risk assessment model was used to estimate the annual relative risk (RR) of human campylobacteriosis in 2019, compared to that of 2013. Three hypothetical levels of cfu/g reductions (A, B and C) were simulated on the LS positive flocks (> 10 cfu/g) slaughtered by HighR-CHRs and were pairwise combined with the two classification strategies, yielding six risk-mitigation scenarios (A I-II; B I-II; C I-II). In scenarios A I-II, zero cfu/g were simulated, while in scenarios B and C, the original cfu/g were divided by three and by two. For each scenario, RRs were compared to the RR of the original cfu/g (scenario O). In 2018, if all flocks from HighR-CHRs had been negative, the annual CS flock prevalence would have reduced from 19.7% to 7.6% (strategy I) or 9.6% (strategy II). Whereas in 2019, it would have reduced from 17.1% to 7.8% or 11.6%. In both years, HighR-CHRs delivered a high percentage of the total annual positive flocks (61.4–54.4% under strategy I and 51.2–32.6% with strategy II). In 2019, if HighR-CHRs had delivered only LS negative flocks, the RR would have reduced from 0.94 (scenario “O”) to 0.51 (A-I). Other scenarios showed smaller RR reductions. Targeting high risk farms/flocks for intensive control could improve One Health-ness of national action plans against Campylobacter spp. © 2021 The Authors | animal tissue; Article; bacterium culture; bird flock; broiler; Campylobacter; campylobacteriosis; carcass; cloaca; Denmark; human; infection risk; nonhuman; One Health; polymerase chain reaction; poultry farming; prevalence; risk assessment; risk factor; risk reduction; slaughtering | Broilers; Campylobacter spp.; Campylobacteriosis; One Health; Risk-based control |
| Case Report on Post-Mortem and Ante-Mortem Findings of Snakebite in Cows Bitten by Cobra and Krait | In this article we are reporting postmortem findings involving hemorrhages of all the vital organs due to cobra bite in a Holstein cow and ante-mortem findings involving neuro-muscular symptoms in a jersey cow which was bitten by common krait. © 2022 Indian Veterinary Assocaition. All rights reserved. | animal experiment; antemortem; Article; asphyxia; bleeding; blood clot; Bungarus; carcass; death; envenomation; Holstein cattle; India; internal bleeding; Jersey cattle; Naja; nonhuman; postmortem; rural population; snakebite; swelling | Cobra bite in cow; India; Krait bite in cow; One Health; Snake bite |
| World Health Organization critical priority Escherichia coli clone ST648 in magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) of an uninhabited insular environment | Antimicrobial resistance is an ancient natural phenomenon increasingly pressured by anthropogenic activities. Escherichia coli has been used as markers of environmental contamination and human-related activity. Seabirds may be bioindicators of clinically relevant bacterial pathogens and their antimicrobial resistance genes, including extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL) and/or plasmid-encoded AmpC (pAmpC), in anthropized and remote areas. We evaluated cloacal swabs of 20 wild magnificent frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) of the Alcatrazes Archipelago, the biggest breeding colony of magnificent frigatebirds in the southern Atlantic and a natural protected area with no history of human occupation, located in the anthropized southeastern Brazilian coast. We characterized a highly virulent multidrug-resistant ST648 (O153:H9) pandemic clone, harboring blaCTX–M–2, blaCMY–2, qnrB, tetB, sul1, sul2, aadA1, aac(3)-VIa and mdfA, and virulence genes characteristic of avian pathogenic (APEC) (hlyF, iroN, iss, iutA, and ompT) and other extraintestinal E. coli (ExPEC) (chuA, kpsMII, and papC). To our knowledge, this is the first report of ST648 E. coli co-producing ESBL and pAmpC in wild birds inhabiting insular environments. We suggest this potentially zoonotic and pathogenic lineage was likely acquired through indirect anthropogenic contamination of the marine environment, ingestion of contaminated seafood, or by intra and/or interspecific contact. Our findings reinforce the role of wild birds as anthropization sentinels in insular environments and the importance of wildlife surveillance studies on pathogens of critical priority classified by the World Health Organization. Copyright © 2022 Ewbank, Fuentes-Castillo, Sacristán, Esposito, Fuga, Cardoso, Godoy, Zamana, Gattamorta, Catão-Dias and Lincopan. | amikacin; aminoglycoside; amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid; biocide; cefepime; cefotaxime; cefoxitin; ceftazidime; ceftiofur; ceftriaxone; chloramphenicol; ciprofloxacin; enrofloxacin; ertapenem; extended spectrum beta lactamase; gentamicin; imipenem; macrolide; meropenem; ribosome RNA; sulfonamide; tetracycline; transfer RNA; trimethoprim; adult; AmpC gene; antibiotic resistance; Article; bacterial gene; bacterial virulence; bacterium identification; bhsA gene; bird; Col gene; contamination; cusF gene; cutA gene; DNA base composition; DNA extraction; double disc synergy test; dsbAB gene; Escherichia coli; female; fetAB gene; fieF gene; fluoroquinolone resistant Escherichia coli; Fregata magnificens; genome analysis; genome size; glpF gene; IncFIB gene; IncFII gene; ingestion; male; marine environment; matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry; mntPR gene; modE gene; nfsA gene; nonhuman; phnE gene; phylogeny; pitA gene; prevalence; rcnR gene; robA gene; sea food; serotype; sitBCD gene; sodAB gene; tehB gene; whole genome sequencing; wildlife; World Health Organization; ychH gene; yieF gene; yodD gene; zinT gene; znuA gene; zur gene | antimicrobial resistance; ESBL; island; One Health; pAmpC; wildlife |
| Antimicrobial resistance and One Health | Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major health prob-lems we face in the 21st century. Nowadays we cannot under-stand global health without the interdependence between the human, animal and environmental dimensions. It is therefore logical to adopt a “One Health” approach to address this prob-lem. In this review we show why a collaboration of all sectors and all professions is necessary in order to achieve optimal health for people, animals, plants and our environment. © 2022, Sociedad Espanola de Quiminoterapia. All rights reserved. | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Global Health; Humans; One Health; aminoglycoside antibiotic agent; beta lactam antibiotic; macrolide; penicillin derivative; polypeptide antibiotic agent; quinolone; RNA 16S; sulfonamide; tetracycline; trimethoprim; antiinfective agent; antibiotic resistance; antimicrobial activity; aquatic environment; Article; bacterium conjugation; bacterium isolate; bacterium transduction; bacterium transformation; Campylobacter; diarrhea; DNA replication; Enterococcus faecium; Escherichia coli; extensive drug resistance; food chain; gene mutation; Haemophilus influenzae; health; Helicobacter pylori; horizontal gene transfer; human; Klebsiella pneumoniae; mobile genetic element; multidrug resistance; multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; nonhuman; plasmid; poultry; prescription; protein synthesis; Salmonella; Salmonella enterica; Shigella; Streptococcus pneumoniae; veterinary medicine; waste water treatment plant; animal; antibiotic resistance; global health; One Health | antimicrobial resistance; last-resort antibiotics; One Health |
| Crisis Preparedness Exercise on Rift Valley Fever Introduction into Europe under a One Health Approach | Crisis preparedness training programmes are substantial for the effective management of contingency plans. Rift Valley Fever (RVF) was chosen as the vector transmitted zoonosis for a crisis preparedness exercise co-organised in 2021 by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale” (IZS-Teramo). The online table-top simulation exercise was planned to strengthen the network of Mediterranean countries on rapid risk assessment, risk/crisis management and risk communication during a human/animal health crisis, adopting the ‘One Health’ approach. Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and Turkey were the beneficiary countries, while European Commission (EC), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) were the designated observers who were actively involved along the entire capacity building process. The simulation exercise was based on a fictional case study in which the zoonotic mosquito-borne disease, not currently present in Europe, was accidentally introduced into the European Union via the accidental transfer of infected vectors from a RVF-endemic country. The training activity was positively assessed by the participants and useful suggestions were given to address further future similar initiatives. © 2022 by the authors. | emergency preparedness; One Health; Rift Valley Fever; simulation exercise |
| Ecological Distribution of Virulent Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Livestock, Environment, and Dairy Products | Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common causes of mastitis, leading to severe economic losses in the dairy industry. It is also zoonotic, with potential risks to public health. This study aimed to detect the occurrence of S. aureus-resistant strains isolated from cattle, buffalo, their environment, milk and dairy products; and to investigate the extent of animal, ecological, and food contamination by methicillin-resistant (MRSA) or enterotoxigenic S. aureus. Samples (n = 350) were collected from four animal (two cattle and two buffalo) farms, i.e., their environment. Thirty Karish cheese samples were collected from 10 markets in Mansoura, Egypt. S. aureus was detected in 17.9%, 17.6%, and 16.7% of samples collected from cattle, buffalo and Karish cheese, respectively. About 19% of isolated S. aureus strains carried the mecA gene. The distribution of the mecA gene was high in isolates from Karish cheese (60%), followed by samples collected from buffalo (16.2%) and cattle (16%). More than 34% of isolated S. aureus strains were enterotoxigenic, and the presence of enterotoxin genes was higher in isolates from Karish cheese (80%) than those from cattle (48%) and buffalo (18.9%). The most predominant enterotoxin gene among isolated S. aureus strains was the sea gene (26.9%), followed by sec (4.5%) and sed (3%) genes. Isolated strains were resistant to clindamycin (100%), kanamycin (97%), nalidixic acid (86.6%), cefotaxime (73.1%) sulphamethazole—trimethoprim (65.6%). Meanwhile, 95.5%, 94%, 86.6% and 77.7% of S. aureus strains were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, amikacin, imipenem and both cefoxitin and gentamycin, respectively. In conclusion, the presence of enterotoxigenic-and methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains in animals, their environment, and dairy products represents a public health concern, particularly in small-scale dairy farms in Egypt. To reduce the risk of infection of livestock and humans with resistant strains, strict regulations and guidelines for antimicrobial use in such a system are urgently required. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | amikacin; amoxicillin; cefotaxime; cefoxitin; ciprofloxacin; clindamycin; cotrimoxazole; enrofloxacin; enterotoxin; gentamicin; imipenem; kanamycin; nalidixic acid; penicillin binding protein 2a; tetracycline; animal experiment; animal model; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic sensitivity; Article; bacterial strain; bacterium identification; bacterium isolation; bovine; buffalo; cheese; dairy product; DNA extraction; ecology; Egypt; food contamination; gene amplification; human; hygiene; livestock; mastitis; methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus; milk production; multidrug resistance; nonhuman; phenotype; polymerase chain reaction; practice guideline; public health; quality control; Staphylococcus aureus; whole genome sequencing | antimicrobial resistance; buffaloes; cattle; ecology; enterotoxin; methicillin-resistant; one health; Staphylococcus aureus |
| Comparative genomics of dairy-associated Staphylococcus aureus from selected sub-Saharan African regions reveals milk as reservoir for human-and animal-derived strains and identifies a putative animal-related clade with presumptive novel siderophore | Staphylococcus aureus infection is considered to be a neglected tropical disease with huge impact on human and animal health alike. Dairy production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) relies heavily on various animals such as cows, goats, and camels, depending on the region. S. aureus causes mastitis and exhibits high prevalence in raw milk. The population structure including genotypic and phenotypic traits of dairy S. aureus in relation to animal and human isolates is, however, unknown for SSA. In this work, 20 S. aureus dairy isolates from East and West Africa were selected for comparative genomics and phenotypic analysis. Comparing their population structure revealed a large diversity of different origins suggesting milk to be a reservoir for human and animal strains alike. Furthermore, a novel putative siderophore was detected in multiple strains in a distinct animal-clade with strains of global origin. This putative siderophore shares a high genetic identity with that from Streptococcus equi suggesting possible horizontal gene transfer. These findings combined with the virulence genes harbored by these dairy-derived strains such as pvl, human evasion factor scn, various enterotoxin, leucocidin and antibiotic resistance genes, stresses the need for an integrative One Health approach to tackle the problem of S. aureus infections in animals and humans in sub-Saharan Africa. Copyright © 2022 Jans, Wambui, Stevens and Tasara. | enterotoxin; leukocidin; siderophore; yersiniabactin; Africa south of the Sahara; animal experiment; animal model; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic sensitivity; Article; bacterial gene; bacterial strain; bacterial virulence; bacterium identification; bacterium isolation; cladistics; DNA extraction; DNA sequence; gene transfer; genome analysis; genome size; genomics; Klebsiella pneumoniae; mastitis; milk; minimum inhibitory concentration; multilocus sequence typing; multiplex polymerase chain reaction; nonhuman; phylogenetic tree; phylogeny; physiological stress; polymerase chain reaction; quality control; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus infection; Streptococcus equi; whole genome sequencing | African dairy products; iron scavenger; neglected tropical disease; One Health; population structure; siderophore; Staphylococcus aureus |
| Exploring the Bacteriome and Resistome of Humans and Food-Producing Animals in Brazil | The epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is complex, with multiple interfaces (human-animal-environment). In this context, One Health surveillance is essential for understanding the distribution of microorganisms and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). This report describes a multicentric study undertaken to evaluate the bacterial communities and resistomes of food-producing animals (cattle, poultry, and swine) and healthy humans sampled simultaneously from five Brazilian regions. Metagenomic analysis showed that a total of 21,029 unique species were identified in 107 rectal swabs collected from distinct hosts, the highest numbers of which belonged to the domain Bacteria, mainly Ruminiclostridium spp. and Bacteroides spp., and the order Enterobacterales. We detected 405 ARGs for 12 distinct antimicrobial classes. Genes encoding antibiotic-modifying enzymes were the most frequent, followed by genes related to target alteration and efflux systems. Interestingly, carbapenemase-encoding genes such as blaAIM-1, blaCAM-1, blaGIM-2, and blaHMB-1 were identified in distinct hosts. Our results revealed that, in general, the bacterial communities from humans were present in isolated clusters, except for the Northeastern region, where an overlap of the bacterial species from humans and food-producing animals was observed. Additionally, a large resistome was observed among all analyzed hosts, with emphasis on the presence of carbapenemase-encoding genes not previously reported in Latin America. IMPORTANCE Humans and food production animals have been reported to be important reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes (ARGs). The frequency of these multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria tends to be higher in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), due mainly to a lack of public health policies. Although studies on AMR in humans or animals have been carried out in Brazil, this is the first multicenter study that simultaneously collected rectal swabs from humans and food-producing animals for metagenomics. Our results indicate high microbial diversity among all analyzed hosts, and several ARGs for different antimicrobial classes were also found. As far as we know, we have detected for the first time ARGs encoding carbapenemases, such as blaAIM-1, blaCAM-1, blaGIM-2, and blaHMB-1, in Latin America. Thus, our results support the importance of metagenomics as a tool to track the colonization of food-producing animals and humans by antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. In addition, a network surveillance system called GUARANI, created for this study, is ready to be expanded and to collect additional data. Copyright © 2022 de Carvalho et al. | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Bacteria; Brazil; Cattle; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Genes, Bacterial; Humans; Metagenomics; Poultry; Swine; antiinfective agent; adult; antibiotic resistome; antimicrobial resistance gene; Article; bacterial colonization; bacterial gene; bacterial microbiome; Bacteroides; blaAIM 1 gene; blaCAM 1 gene; blaGIM 2 gene; blaHMB 1 gene; bovine; Brazil; Clostridium; controlled study; Enterobacterales; genetic analysis; human; human experiment; metagenomic analysis; metagenomics; microbial community; microbial diversity; nonhuman; normal human; pig; poultry; rectal swab; Ruminiclostridium; species composition; animal; antibiotic resistance; bacterium; clinical trial; genetics; multicenter study; procedures | antimicrobial resistance genes; bacterial communities; drug resistance; metagenomics; One Health; surveillance |
| Hepatitis E Virus Detection in Hunted Wild Boar Liver and Muscle Tissues in Central Italy | In different European countries, including Italy, hepatitis E virus (HEV) has been recognized as an emerging public health concern. Humans are infected through the orofecal route by the ingestion of contaminated uncooked or undercooked animal-origin foodstuffs. Wild boars (Sus scrofa) have gained a crucial role as viral reservoirs. HEV-3 is the most frequently identified genotype from hunted wild boar liver and muscle tissues. The Marche region, more specifically Ascoli Piceno province, is characterized by a rooted hunting tradition and related product consumption. In this research study, 312 liver and 296 muscle specimens were screened using biomolecular assays, and HEV RNA was detected from 5.45% and 1.35% of liver and muscle samples, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that positive animals were infected by genotype 3 subtype c. Based on the environmental pathogen characteristics, HEV has also evolved to guarantee its survival in a wild environment. Therefore, wild boars and ruminants have a key role in its persistence. Epidemiological data regarding HEV circulation have resulted as necessary, and biomolecular analysis represents an important means of monitoring and establishing preventive measures. A multidisciplinary approach could provide a wide perspective regarding HEV and infectious implications on human, animal, and environmental health. © 2022 by the authors. | food-chain; hepatitis E virus; liver; muscle; one-health; RNA; wild boar |
| Insights into the Vibrio Genus: A One Health Perspective from Host Adaptability and Antibiotic Resistance to In Silico Identification of Drug Targets | The genus Vibrio comprises an important group of ubiquitous bacteria of marine systems with a high infectious capacity for humans and fish, which can lead to death or cause economic losses in aquaculture. However, little is known about the evolutionary process that led to the adaptation and colonization of humans and also about the consequences of the uncontrollable use of antibiotics in aquaculture. Here, comparative genomics analysis and functional gene annotation showed that the species more related to humans presented a significantly higher amount of proteins associated with colonization processes, such as transcriptional factors, signal transduction mechanisms, and iron uptake. In comparison, those aquaculture-associated species possess a much higher amount of resistance-associated genes, as with those of the tetracycline class. Finally, through subtractive genomics, we propose seven new drug targets such as: UMP Kinase, required to catalyze the phosphorylation of UMP into UDP, essential for the survival of bacteria of this genus; and, new natural molecules, which have demonstrated high affinity for the active sites of these targets. These data also suggest that the species most adaptable to fish and humans have a distinct natural evolution and probably undergo changes due to anthropogenic action in aquaculture or indiscriminate/irregular use of antibiotics. © 2022 by the authors. | transcription factor; virulence factor; adaptation; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic resistome; aquaculture; Article; biosynthesis; clustering algorithm; comparative genomics; computer model; controlled study; drug identification; fish; gene ontology; genomic island; genomics; genus; hierarchical clustering; human; iron metabolism; minimum inhibitory concentration; molecular docking; nonhuman; One Health; pathogenicity island; phosphorylation; protein structure; signal transduction; survival; Vibrio; Vibrio alginolyticus; Vibrio anguillarum; Vibrio campbellii; Vibrio cincinnatiensis; Vibrio fluvialis; Vibrio furnissii; Vibrio harveyi; Vibrio metoecus; Vibrio metschnikovii; Vibrio mimicus; Vibrio navarrensis; Vibrio parahaemolyticus; Vibrio rotiferianus; Vibrio vulnificus; Vibrionaceae | antibiotic resistance; genomic islands; molecular docking; one health; pan-resistome; subtractive genomics; Vibrio; virulence factors |
| Limited Transmission of Klebsiella pneumoniae among Humans, Animals, and the Environment in a Caribbean Island, Guadeloupe (French West Indies) | Guadeloupe (French West Indies), a Caribbean island, is an ideal place to study the reservoirs of the Klebsiella pneumoniae species complex (KpSC) and identify the routes of transmission between human and nonhuman sources due to its insularity, small population size, and small area. Here, we report an analysis of 590 biological samples, 546 KpSC isolates, and 331 genome sequences collected between January 2018 and May 2019. The KpSC appears to be common whatever the source. Extended-spectrum-b-lactamase (ESBL)-producing isolates (21.4%) belonged to K. pneumoniae sensu stricto (phylogroup Kp1), and all but one were recovered from the hospital setting. The distribution of species and phylogroups across the different niches was clearly nonrandom, with a distinct separation of Kp1 and Klebsiella variicola (Kp3). The most frequent sequence types (STs) ($5 isolates) were previously recognized as high-risk multidrug-resistant (MDR) clones, namely, ST17, ST307, ST11, ST147, ST152, and ST45. Only 8 out of the 63 STs (12.7%) associated with human isolates were also found in nonhuman sources. A total of 22 KpSC isolates were defined as hypervirulent: 15 associated with human infections (9.8% of all human isolates), 4 (8.9%) associated with dogs, and 3 (15%) associated with pigs. Most of the human isolates (33.3%) belonged to the globally successful sublineage CG23-I. ST86 was the only clone shared by a human and a nonhuman (dog) source. Our work shows the limited transmission of KpSC isolates between human and nonhuman sources and points to the hospital setting as a cornerstone of the spread of MDR clones and antibiotic resistance genes. IMPORTANCE In this study, we characterized the presence and genomic features of isolates of the Klebsiella pneumoniae species complex (KpSC) from human and nonhuman sources in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) in order to identify the reservoirs and routes of transmission. This is the first study in an island environment, an ideal setting that limits the contribution of external imports. Our data showed the limited transmission of KpSC isolates between the different compartments. In contrast, we identified the hospital setting as the epicenter of antibiotic resistance due to the nosocomial spread of successful multidrug-resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae clones and antibiotic resistance genes. Ecological barriers and/or limited exposure may restrict spread from the hospital setting to other reservoirs and vice versa. These results highlight the need for control strategies focused on health care centers, using genomic surveillance to limit the spread, particularly of high-risk clones, of this important group of MDR pathogens. Copyright © 2022 Dereeper et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; beta-Lactamases; Dogs; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Guadeloupe; Humans; Klebsiella Infections; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Swine; extended spectrum beta lactamase; antiinfective agent; beta lactamase; antibiotic resistance; Article; bacterial transmission; bacterium isolation; gene sequence; genetic screening; genetic variability; genome-wide association study; Klebsiella pneumoniae; multilocus sequence typing; nonhuman; phylogeny; species distribution; animal; dog; genetics; Guadeloupe; human; Klebsiella infection; microbial sensitivity test; multidrug resistance; pig | Caribbean; ESBL; genomic; Klebsiella pneumoniae; One Health |
| Monitoring Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales in the Environment to Assess the Spread in the Community | The usefulness of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) was proven during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the role of environmental monitoring of emerging infectious diseases has been recognized. In this study, the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) in Japanese environmental samples was measured in the context of applying WBE to CRE. A total of 247 carbapenem-resistant isolates were obtained from wastewater, treated wastewater, and river water. Treated wastewater was shown to be an efficient target for monitoring CRE. The results of the isolate analysis showed that WBE may be applicable to Escherichia coli-carrying New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-type carbapenemase, the Enterobacter cloacae complex and Klebsiella pneumoniae complex-carrying IMP-type carbapenemase. In addition, a certain number of CRE isolated in this study carried Guiana extended spectrum (GES)-type carbapenemase although their clinical importance was unclear. Only a few isolates of Klebsiella aerogenes were obtained from environmental samples in spite of their frequent detection in clinical isolates. Neither the KPC-type, the oxacillinase (OXA)-type nor the VIM-type of carbapenemase was detected in the CRE, which reflected a low regional prevalence. These results indicated the expectation and the limitation of applying WBE to CRE. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | antibiotic agent; carbapenemase; metallo beta lactamase; oxacillinase; RNA 16S; unclassified drug; Article; bacterium culture; bacterium isolation; carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae; Enterobacter cloacae; environmental monitoring; Escherichia coli; gene sequence; Klebsiella pneumoniae; microbial community; minimum inhibitory concentration; nonhuman; prevalence; real time polymerase chain reaction; spectrum; Stenotrophomonas maltophilia; wastewater; wastewater-based epidemiology | carbapenem-resistant; carbapenemase; Enterobacterales; one health; treated wastewater; wastewater-based epidemiology |
| Can Stray Cats Be Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance? | The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global problem that requires a One Health approach. Despite several studies have reported the role of companion animals as reservoirs of AMR, limited information is available regarding the role of cats in the circulation of AMR. In this study, we evaluated the phenotypic and genotypic profile of 75 Escherichia coli isolated from rectal swabs and fecal samples of 75 stray cats (living in solitary or in a colony) sampled in Palermo (Sicily, Italy), to determine whether these animals may participate in the spread of AMR. Susceptibility to 8 antibiotics was tested using Minimum Inhibitory Concentration assays, while the presence of the common antibiotic resistance genes blaTEM, blaCTX-M, tet(A), and tet(B) was investigated by PCR. From the 75 E. coli isolates analyzed, 43% were resistant to at least one of the eight antibiotics tested, with 31% of the isolates resistant to ampicillin, 23% to cefotaxime, 21% to tetracycline, 20% to cefazolin, and 17% to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Most isolates harbored the blaTEM gene (29%), followed by blaCTX-M (23%), tet(A) (21%), and tet(B) (20%). Our results confirm the fecal carriage of antibiotic-resistant E. coli and clinically relevant resistance genes in stray cats. This study highlights the potential role of stray cats in the spread of AMR in urban environments, emphasising the need to better understand their role in AMR circulation when planning strategies to combat it. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. | amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid; ampicillin; beta lactam antibiotic; beta lactamase CTX M; cefazolin; cefotaxime; extended spectrum beta lactamase; tetracycline derivative; animal experiment; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic sensitivity; Article; bacterium isolate; controlled study; disease reservoir; domestic animal; Escherichia coli; extended spectrum beta lactamase producing Escherichia coli; feces analysis; genetic profile; genetic susceptibility; genotype phenotype correlation; Italy; minimum inhibitory concentration; nonhuman; One Health; polymerase chain reaction; rectal swab; stray cat; tetracycline resistance; urban area; zoonotic transmission | antibiotic resistance; domestic animals; E. coli; extended-spectrum beta-lactamases; Italy; One Health; resistance genes |
| Long-term effects of lithium and lithium-microplastic mixtures on the model species Daphnia magna: Toxicological interactions and implications to ‘One Health’ | Environmental contamination with lithium (Li) and microplastics (MP) has been steadily increasing and this trend is expected to continue in the future. Many freshwater ecosystems, which are crucial to reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, are particularly vulnerable to Li and MP contamination, and other pressures. The long-term effects of Li, either alone or combined with MP (Li-MP mixtures), were investigated using the freshwater zooplankton micro-crustacean Daphnia magna as model species. In the laboratory, D. magna females were exposed for 21 days to water concentrations of Li (0.02, 0.04, 0.08 mg/L) or Li-MP mixtures (0.02 Li + 0.04 MP, 0.04 Li + 0.09 MP mg/L, 0.08 Li + 0.19 MP mg/L). In the range of concentrations tested, Li and Li-MP mixtures caused parental mortality, and decreased the somatic growth (up to 20% and 40% reduction, respectively) and the reproductive success (up to 93% and 90% reduction, respectively). The 21-day EC50s of Li and Li-MP mixtures on D. magna reproduction were 0.039 mg/L and 0.039 Li + 0.086 MP mg/L, respectively. Under exposure to the highest concentration of Li (0.08 mg/L) and Li-MP mixtures (0.08 Li + 0.19 MP mg/L), the mean of D. magna population growth rate was reduced by 67% and 58%, respectively. Based on the population growth rate and using data from a bioassay testing the same concentrations of MP alone and carried simultaneously, the toxicological interaction between Li and MP was antagonism under exposure to the lowest and the highest concentrations of Li-MP mixtures, and synergism under exposure to the medium concentration of Li-MP mixtures. These findings highlight the need of further investigating the combined effects of contaminants, and the threat of long-term environmental contamination with Li and MP to freshwater zooplankton, biodiversity, ecosystem services and ‘One Health’. © 2022 | Biodiversity; Cell proliferation; Contamination; Ecosystems; Health risks; Lithium; Mixtures; Population statistics; Sustainable development; Water; dissolved oxygen; fertilizer; fresh water; lithium; microplastic; Daphnia magna; Environmental contamination; Fresh Water; Freshwater zooplankton daphnia magna; Long-term effects; Long-term toxicity; Microplastics; Model species; Synergism and antagonism; ‘one health’; antagonism; crustacean; lithium; plastic; synergism; toxicity; toxicology; zooplankton; Article; bioassay; biodiversity; body growth; Daphnia magna; ecosystem; ecosystem service; ecotoxicology; growth rate; human; light intensity; limit of detection; limit of quantitation; One Health; photoperiodicity; risk assessment; spectrofluorometry; water temperature; zooplankton; Health | Freshwater zooplankton Daphnia magna; Lithium; Long-term toxicity; Microplastics; Synergism and antagonism; ‘One health’ |
| PglB function and glycosylation efficiency is temperature dependent when the pgl locus is integrated in the Escherichia coli chromosome | Background: Campylobacter is an animal and zoonotic pathogen of global importance, and a pressing need exists for effective vaccines, including those that make use of conserved polysaccharide antigens. To this end, we adapted Protein Glycan Coupling Technology (PGCT) to develop a versatile Escherichia coli strain capable of generating multiple glycoconjugate vaccine candidates against Campylobacter jejuni. Results: We generated a glycoengineering E. coli strain containing the conserved C. jejuni heptasaccharide coding region integrated in its chromosome as a model glycan. This methodology confers three advantages: (i) reduction of plasmids and antibiotic markers used for PGCT, (ii) swift generation of many glycan-protein combinations and consequent rapid identification of the most antigenic proteins or peptides, and (iii) increased genetic stability of the polysaccharide coding-region. In this study, by using the model glycan expressing strain, we were able to test proteins from C. jejuni, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (both Gram-negative), and Clostridium perfringens (Gram-positive) as acceptors. Using this pgl integrant E. coli strain, four glycoconjugates were readily generated. Two glycoconjugates, where both protein and glycan are from C. jejuni (double-hit vaccines), and two glycoconjugates, where the glycan antigen is conjugated to a detoxified toxin from a different pathogen (single-hit vaccines). Because the downstream application of Live Attenuated Vaccine Strains (LAVS) against C. jejuni is to be used in poultry, which have a higher body temperature of 42 °C, we investigated the effect of temperature on protein expression and glycosylation in the E. coli pgl integrant strain. Conclusions: We determined that glycosylation is temperature dependent and that for the combination of heptasaccharide and carriers used in this study, the level of PglB available for glycosylation is a step limiting factor in the glycosylation reaction. We also demonstrated that temperature affects the ability of PglB to glycosylate its substrates in an in vitro glycosylation assay independent of its transcriptional level. © 2021, The Author(s). | Bacterial Proteins; Bacterial Vaccines; Campylobacter jejuni; Chromosomes; Escherichia coli; Glycoconjugates; Glycosylation; Membrane Proteins; Metabolic Engineering; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Temperature; bacterial protein; glycoconjugate; live vaccine; protein PglB; unclassified drug; bacterial polysaccharide; bacterial protein; bacterial vaccine; membrane protein; Article; bacterial chromosome; bacterial gene; bacterial strain; bioengineering; body temperature; Campylobacter enteritis; Campylobacter jejuni; Clostridium perfringens; controlled study; Escherichia coli; gene locus; glycosylation; in vitro study; nonhuman; pgl gene; poultry; protein domain; protein expression; protein function; protein processing; protein purification; protein stability; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; temperature dependence; chromosome; Escherichia coli; genetics; glycosylation; immunology; metabolic engineering; metabolism; procedures; temperature | Biological conjugation; One health; PGCT; PglB; Poultry; Temperature; Vaccine |
| CHANS-Law: preventing the next pandemic through the integration of social and environmental law | Zoonotic viruses have sacrificed hundreds of millions of people throughout human history. There are currently 1.7 million unidentified viruses estimated to be circulating in mammal and bird populations. It is foreseeable that in the near future, another of these will transmit to people, heralding the start of the next pandemic—one potentially more deadly than COVID-19. At the core of this article is a call for pre-emptive protection of the natural environment and its regenerative systems as the first fundamental step in the prevention of future epidemics and pandemics. While zoonoses originate in nature, the predominant legal discipline, managing these crises, is international health law which is invoked reactively once an outbreak has been reported. In this paper, we identify the need for a legal shift in epidemic and pandemic responses. In particular, we call for the incorporation of international environmental agreements to prevent the initial viral spillover from animal to human populations. We propose a strategy of strengthening existing agreements and a coupling of legal disciplines, such as health and environmental law, emphasizing the need for synergies across legal disciplines to enhance the emergence and management of future pandemics and epidemics. We introduce Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS) Law to frame the required integration across legal instruments to regulate inextricably human-nature connections and advocate for the development of a Convention on Epidemics and Pandemics. © 2022, The Author(s). | bird; conservation management; emergence; environmental legislation; epidemic; mammal | COVID-19; Epidemics and pandemics; International environmental agreements; One-Health |
| How far are we? National preparedness and response capacities for emerging infectious disease outbreaks in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region | Infectious diseases are a constant threat to communities worldwide. Over the last decades, outbreaks of various emerging and epidemic-prone infectious diseases (EIDs) have erupted in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region.1 Protracted humanitarian emergencies, fragile health systems, insufficient infrastructure and resources, suboptimal technical and managerial capacities further exacerbate disease emergence and spread and hinder prevention and control efforts.1 2 Despite these challenges, countries are committed to build national capacities to better tackle EIDs. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. | influenza vaccine; 2009 H1N1 influenza; Article; capacity building; coronavirus disease 2019; cost effectiveness analysis; disease transmission; epidemic; government; health care personnel; human; international health regulation; knowledge management; monitoring; morbidity; mortality; One Health; pandemic; pandemic influenza; pregnant woman; public health; questionnaire; rapid response team; risk assessment; self evaluation; Southern Europe; systematic review (topic); vector borne disease; World Health Organization | Control strategies; COVID-19; Epidemiology; Health systems evaluation; Respiratory infections |
| One Health Approach to Identify Research Needs on Rhipicephalus microplus Ticks in the Americas | We aim to provide a harmonized view of the factors that affect the survival and promote the spread of R. microplus in the Neotropics, approaching its different facets of biology, ecology, distribution, and control. We review the interactions among environmental niche, landscape fragmentation, vegetal coverage (abiotic traits), and the biotic aspects of its ecology (abundance of domesticated or wild competent hosts), proposing emerging areas of research. We emphasize a holistic view integrating an economically and ecologically sustainable control of infestations and transmitted pathogens by R. microplus in the Neotropics. Examples of research link the trends of climate, the composition of the community of hosts, the landscape features, and a tailored management based on ecological grounds. Our view is that factors driving the spread of R. microplus are complex and deeply interrelated, something that has been seldom considered in control strategies. The effects of climate may affect the dynamics of wildlife or the landscape composition, promoting new patterns of seasonal activity of the tick, or its spread into currently free areas. In this paper we encourage a One Health approach highlighting the main aspects governing the components of the tick’s life cycle and its interactions with livestock and wild animals. © 2022 by the authors. | acaricide; Article; bovine anaplasmosis; bovine babesiosis; climate change; CRISPR-CAS9 system; ecology; ectoparasitosis; hatching; humidity; immune response; intestine flora; landscape; life cycle; livestock; nonhuman; Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus; seasonal variation; temperature; tick; tick control; vaccination; water vapor; white tailed deer; wild animal; wildlife | climate; ecology; integrated control; One Health; pasture vacancy; research agenda; Rhipicephalus microplus |
| Balantioides coli Fecal Excretion in Hunted Wild Cervids (Cervus elaphus and Dama dama) from Portugal | Balantioides coli is a zoonotic enteric protozoan parasite of public veterinary health relevance and a concern in animal production and food safety. While wild cervids are recognized reservoirs for several zoonotic pathogens, little is known about the occurrence of B. coli in deer species, especially in Europe. To fill this gap, a total of 130 fecal samples from legally hunted red deer (Cervus elaphus, n = 95) and fallow deer (Dama dama, n = 35) were passively collected during two hunting seasons (October to February; 2018–2019 and 2019–2020) in Portugal. After assessment by PCR assay targeting the complete ITS1–5.8s-rRNA–ITS2 region and the 3’ end of the ssu-rRNA gene of the parasite, a prevalence of 4.2% (4/95, 95% CI: 0.2–8.3) in red deer and of 5.7% (2/35, 95% CI: 0.0–13.4) in fallow deer was found. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses allowed the identification of B. coli genetic variants A (in two red deer) and B (in two red deer and two fallow deer). This is the first molecular-based description of B. coli in European deer species, whose population have increased in density and geographical range in recent years. Continued monitoring of wild ungulates as potential vectors of parasitic infection diseases of zoonotic nature is crucial to safeguard public health and food safety. © 2022 by the authors. | internal transcribed spacer 1; internal transcribed spacer 2; RNA 5.8S; adult; animal experiment; Article; Balantidium; Balantidium coli; DNA purification; fallow deer; feces; female; gene amplification; gene sequence; genetic variability; geographic distribution; male; nonhuman; phylogenetic tree; phylogeny; polymerase chain reaction; red deer; RNA gene; sequence alignment | B. coli; deer; genotyping; one health; Portugal; surveillance; transmission; wildlife |
| Ciprofloxacin Concentrations 1/1000th the MIC Can Select for Antimicrobial Resistance in N. gonorrhoeae—Important Implications for Maximum Residue Limits in Food | Background: Concentrations of fluoroquinolones up to 200-fold lower than the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) have been shown to be able to select for antimicrobial resistance in E. coli and Salmonella spp. (the minimum selection concentration—MSC). We hypothesized that the low concentrations of quinolones found in meat may play a role in the genesis of quinolone resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. We aimed to (i) establish the ciprofloxacin MSC for N. gonorrhoeae and (ii) assess if, at the ecological level, the prevalence of gonococcal ciprofloxacin resistance is associated with the concentration of quinolones used in food animal production, which is an important determinant of long-term low-dose exposure to ciprofloxacin in humans. Methods: (i) To assess if subinhibitory ciprofloxacin concentrations could select for de novo generated resistant mutants, a susceptible WHO-P N. gonorrhoeae isolate was serially passaged at 1, 1:10, 1:100 and 1:1000 of the ciprofloxacin MIC of WHO-P (0.004 mg/L) on GC agar plates. (ii) Spearman’s correlation was used to assess the association between the prevalence of ciprofloxacin resistance in N. gonorrhoeae and quinolone use for animals and quinolone consumption by humans. Results: Ciprofloxacin concentrations as low as 0.004 µg/L (1/1000 of the MIC of WHO-P) were able to select for ciprofloxacin resistance. The prevalence of ciprofloxacin resistance in N. gonorrhoeae was positively associated with quinolone use for food animals (ρ = 0.47; p = 0.004; N = 34). Conclusion: Further individual level research is required to assess if low doses of ciprofloxacin from ingested foodstuffs are able to select for ciprofloxacin resistance in bacteria colonizing humans and other species. © 2022 by the authors. | ciprofloxacin; enoxacin; gatifloxacin; levofloxacin; lomefloxacin; moxifloxacin; norfloxacin; ofloxacin; sparfloxacin; trovafloxacin; antibiotic resistance; Article; bacterial growth; bacterial strain; controlled study; human; minimum inhibitory concentration; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; nonhuman; whole genome sequencing | AMR; antimicrobial consumption; N. gonorrhoeae; one-health; quinolone; resistance |
| First identification of Lutzomyia longipalpis in an area of visceral leishmaniasis transmission in central Rio Grande do Sul State, southern Brazil | Sand flies are hematophagous dipterans and are considered vectors of the parasites belonging to the genus Leishmania, which can infect mammals, including humans, and subsequently cause leishmaniasis. Rio Grande do Sul State (RS), southern Brazil, was considered free of this disease for the last few decades. However, several autochthonous cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) have been recorded in different municipalities in recent years. Since 2017, cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) have been reported in the municipality of Santa Maria, located in the central region of RS. In 2021, two cases of human VL were confirmed in the city, resulting in one death. To capture the possible vectors involved in the disease transmission cycle, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) modified light traps were installed in the peridomestic residential areas. These points were situated in two city districts where cases of CVL had been reported from January 2021 to January 2022. In the 41 sample collections of sand flies, 9 specimens of Lutzomyia longipalpis were identified, confirming the municipality as an area of VL transmission, according to Brazilian sanitary standards. The spread of Leishmania spp. has been occurring efficiently, resulting in a negative impact on the One Health. This study reports the first detection of L. longipalpis in the central region of RS. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. | Animals; Brazil; Dogs; Humans; Leishmania; Leishmaniasis; Leishmaniasis, Visceral; Mammals; Psychodidae; Article; city; disease transmission; human; Lutzomyia longipalpis; nonhuman; One Health; public health service; residential area; Rio Grande do Sul; visceral leishmaniasis; animal; Brazil; dog; epidemiology; Leishmania; leishmaniasis; mammal; parasitology; Psychodidae | Epidemiology; One Health; Phlebotominae; Vector; Visceral leishmaniasis |
| Detection of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in soil and risk mapping in an island environment in the Northeast of Brazil | Toxoplasmosis is an emerging and re-emerging infectious disease that can be transmitted through a contaminated environment. Environmental contamination is an emergency health issue, and determining its occurrence is fundamental to a One Health approach. In this study, we addressed the extent of environmental contamination and viability of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in soil in different environments on Fernando de Noronha Island, Brazil. In addition, we performed species distribution modelling to predict the environmental suitability for coccidia persistence in the studied area. Soil samples were collected in 14 neighbourhoods of the Island and in the four main squares, creating a total of 95 soil samples (five samples per site). The samples were analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique for the presence of the 18S ribosomal DNA gene of Apicomplexan protozoa, followed by genetic sequencing. We obtained 4.2% (4/95) positive soil samples with 100% similarity for T. gondii sequences. Two out of four positive sites on PCR showed viability of T. gondii oocysts through the mouse bioassay technique. As a result of the application of the species distribution modelling, environmental adequacy for the coccidia was observed throughout the Island. The results confirm the contamination of the soil in this insular environment by T. gondii oocysts and the environmental suitability by modelling application. These findings are an alert for the possibility of infection in animals and humans by contaminated soil, and for contamination of the maritime environment in addition to water resources for consumption by the local population. © 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH. | Animals; Brazil; Humans; Mice; Oocysts; Rodent Diseases; Soil; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis; Toxoplasmosis, Animal; animal experiment; animal model; animal tissue; Article; Brazil; cross-sectional study; gene sequence; mouse; nonhuman; oocyst; sequence analysis; soil analysis; spatial analysis; species distribution; spectrophotometry; Toxoplasma gondii; animal; animal toxoplasmosis; genetics; human; parasitology; rodent disease; soil; Toxoplasma; toxoplasmosis | coccidia; One Health; species distribution modelling |
| One Health timeliness metrics to track and evaluate outbreak response reporting: A scoping review | Background: As the global population soars, human behaviours are increasing the risk of epidemics. Objective performance evaluation of outbreak responses requires that metrics of timeliness, or speed in response time, be recorded and reported. We sought to evaluate how timeliness data are being conveyed for multisectoral outbreaks and make recommendations on how One Health metrics can be used to improve response success. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of outbreaks reported January 1, 2010– March 15, 2020, in organizational reports and peer-reviewed literature on PubMed and Embase databases. We tracked 11 outbreak milestones and calculated timeliness metrics, the median time in days, between the following: 1) Predict; 2) Prevent; 3) Start; 4) Detect; 5) Notify; 6) Verify; 7) Diagnostic; 8) Respond; 9) Communication; 10) End; and 11) After-Action Review. Findings: We identified 26783 outbreak reports, 1014 of which involved more than just the human health sector. Only six of the eleven milestones were mentioned in >50% of reports. The time between most milestones was on average shorter for outbreaks reporting both Predict (alert of a potential outbreak) and Prevent (response to predictive alert) events. Interpretation: Tracking progress in timeliness during outbreaks can focus efforts to prevent outbreaks from evolving into epidemics or pandemics. Response to predictive alerts demonstrated improved expediency in time to most milestones. We recommend the adoption of universally defined One Health outbreak milestones, including After Action Review, such that timeliness metrics can be used to assess outbreak response improvements over time. Funding: This study was made possible by the United States Agency for International Development’s One Health Workforce–Next Generation Project (Cooperative Agreement 7200AA19CA00018). © 2022 The Author(s) | Article; data base; diagnostic test; disaster preparedness; disease notification; epidemic; funding; geographic distribution; human; information processing; interpersonal communication; One Health; outbreak response reporting; pandemic; peer review; prediction; Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses; prophylaxis; reporting and data system; timeliness (data) | One Health; Outbreaks; Pandemic preparedness; Timeliness metrics |
| Risk factor determination and qualitative risk assessment of Mucormycosis in Harbor Porpoise, an emergent fungal disease in Salish Sea marine mammals | Mucorales infections are increasing in frequency and are a One Health pathogen of concern. In humans and domestic animals, risk factors include being immunocompromised, elevated circulating serum iron, contaminated open wounds, or metabolic diseases such as ketoacidosis or uncontrolled diabetes. Mucormycosis was first identified in 2012 in Pacific Northwest marine mammals, predominantly in harbor porpoises. We performed an assessment to determine the overall qualitative risk, or risk score, of mucormycosis in harbor porpoises. Risk factors for this disease are unknown in aquatic mammals. In a separate risk factor analysis, potential risk factors such as pollutants, trace metals (e.g., iron), and co-infection with other pathogens (e.g., viruses and Brucella spp.) were examined in mucormycosis cases and noncases using a matched case-control study design, to determine the presence and strength of association of these factors with mucormycosis. Disease severity (gross and histopathology) and exposure scores were multiplied together to obtain the overall risk scores of 9 -16 which corresponded to moderate and severe, respectively. In the risk factor analysis, the factors most strongly associated with a mucormycosis case, relative to a control, were elevated liver iron, decreased blubber thickness, and the decreased ratio of the sum of PCB congeners/sum of PBDE congeners. The results of this study suggest that mucormycosis may pose an inordinately high risk to harbor porpoises (and potentially sympatric species in the Salish Sea such as southern resident killer whales) based on the detected prevalence and the severity of lesions observed at necropsy. However, the risk may be greater on an individual basis compared to the overall population, and is likely related to other factors such as increased POP and heavy metal burdens. Copyright © 2022 Norman, Huggins, Lambourn, Rhodes, Garner, Bolton, Gaydos, Scott, Raverty and Calambokidis. | fungi; harbor porpoise; killer whale; marine mammal; mucormycosis; One Health; qualitative risk assessment; Salish Sea |
| A One Health Evaluation of the Surveillance Systems on Tick-Borne Diseases in the Netherlands, Spain and Italy | To identify ideal elements for the monitoring and prevention of tick-borne diseases (TBD), we analysed the surveillance systems in place in the Netherlands, Spain and Italy. We applied a semi-quantitative evaluation to identify outcomes and assess the degree of One Health implementation. Differences emerged in the surveillance initiatives, as well as the One Health scores. The Dutch surveillance is dominated by a high level of transdisciplinary and trans-sectoral collaboration, enabling communication and data sharing among actors. Different project-based monitoring, research and educational activities are centrally coordinated and the non-scientific community is actively involved. All this yielded measurable health outcomes. In Italy and Spain, TBD surveillance and reporting systems are based on compulsory notification. Law enforcement, alongside dedicated time and availability of economic resources, is fragmented and limited to the most severe health issues. Veterinary and human medicine are the most involved disciplines, with the first prevailing in some contexts. Stakeholders are marginally considered and collaborations limited to local initiatives. Research activities have mostly contributed to gaining knowledge on the distribution of tick vectors and discovery of new pathogens. Although all TBD surveillance plans comply with EU regulations, initiatives characterised by transdisciplinary collaboration may be more effective for the surveillance and prevention of TBD. © 2022 by the authors. | Article; awareness; Borrelia miyamotoi; Borrelia recurrentis; boutonneuse fever; Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever; disease surveillance; endemic disease; epidemiological surveillance; food industry; human; Hyalomma marginatum; Ixodidae; One Health; Q fever; Rickettsia aeschlimannii; Rickettsia monacensis; Rickettsia sibirica; rickettsiosis; tick borne disease; tick borne encephalitis; tick-borne lymphadenopathy; tularemia; vaccination | NEOH framework; One Health Evaluation; surveillance; tick-borne diseases; transdisciplinary collaboration |
| The First Molecular Detection of Aedes albopictus in Sudan Associates with Increased Outbreaks of Chikungunya and Dengue | As part of our surveys of the invasive malaria vector Anopheles stephensi in four Sudanese states, including North and South Kordofan, Sennar, and White Nile, we collected 166 larvae. Our morphological identification confirmed that 30% of the collected mosquito samples were Anopheles species, namely An. gambiae s.l. and An. stephensi, while the 117 Aedes specimens were Ae. luteocephalus (39%), Ae. aegypti (32%), Ae. vexans (9%), Ae. vittatus (9%), Ae. africanus (6%), Ae. metalicus (3%), and Ae. albopictus (3%). Considering the serious threat of Ae. albopictus emergence for the public health in the area and our limited resources, we prioritized Ae. albopictus samples for further genomic analysis. We extracted the DNA from the three specimens and subsequently sequenced the cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) gene and confirmed their identity as Aedes albopictus and their potential origin by phylogenetic and haplotype analyses. Aedes albopictus, originating from Southeast Asia, is an invasive key vector of chikungunya and dengue. This is the first report and molecular characterization of Ae. albopictus from Sudan. Our sequences cluster with populations from the Central African Republic and La Réunion. Worryingly, this finding associates with a major increase in chikungunya and dengue outbreaks in rural areas of the study region and might be linked to the mosquito’s spread across the region. The emergence of Ae. albopictus in Sudan is of serious public health concern and urges for the improvement of the vector surveillance and control system through the implementation of an integrated molecular xenosurveillance. The threat of major arboviral diseases in the region underlines the need for the institutionalization of the One Health strategy for the prevention and control of future pandemics. © 2022 by the authors. | Aedes; Animals; Anopheles; Chikungunya Fever; Dengue; Disease Outbreaks; DNA; Electron Transport Complex IV; Malaria; Mosquito Vectors; Phylogeny; cytochrome c oxidase; genomic DNA; mitochondrial DNA; cytochrome c oxidase; DNA; Aedes aegypti; Aedes africanus; Aedes albopictus; Aedes luteocephalus; Africa; Anopheles gambiae; Anopheles stephensi; Anopheles vexans; Article; chikungunya; controlled study; dengue; DNA extraction; epidemic; gene sequence; genetic variability; genetic variation; genomics; geographic distribution; haplotype; human; Madagascar; Mauritius; Mayotte; Morocco; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; One Health; phylogeny; public health; rural area; Sanger sequencing; Sudan; Aedes; animal; Anopheles; chikungunya; genetics; malaria; mosquito vector | Aedes aegypti; Aedes africanus; Aedes luteocephalus; Aedes metalicus; Aedes vexans; Aedes vittatus; Anopheles stephensi; arboviruses; haplotype analysis; invasive diseases vectors; One Health; phylogenetic analysis; Sudan |
| Negative seroprevalence for Toxoplasma gondii in free-living primates from Central Amazonia | This study presents 35 negative serologies for antibodies anti-T. gondii in free-living primates from Central Amazonia. Our results suggest that these populations have not had contact with the parasite and, therefore, do not have antibodies. This was the first study surveying T. gondii in Cacajao, Callicebus, Pithecia, and Saguinus monkeys. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. | Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan; Pitheciidae; Primates; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis, Animal; protozoon antibody; protozoon antibody; agglutination test; Amazonas (Brazil); antibody detection; Article; blood analysis; blood sampling; Callicebus; contact examination; controlled study; dilution; Haplorhini; nonhuman; primate; Saguinus; seroprevalence; Toxoplasma gondii; animal; animal toxoplasmosis; parasitology; Pitheciidae; primate; seroepidemiology; Toxoplasma | modified agglutination test; monkeys; One Health; toxoplasmosis; zoonoses |
| Investigation of Antibiotic Resistome in Hospital Wastewater during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Is the Initial Phase of the Pandemic Contributing to Antimicrobial Resistance? | Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, there has been much speculation about how COVID-19 and antimicrobial resistance may be interconnected. In this study, untreated wastewater was sampled from Hospital A designated to treat COVID-19 patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic alongside Hospital B that did not receive any COVID-19 patients. Metagenomics was used to determine the relative abundance and mobile potential of antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs), prior to determining the correlation of ARGs with time/incidence of COVID-19. Our findings showed that ARGs resistant to macrolides, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines were positively correlated with time in Hospital A but not in Hospital B. Likewise, minor extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and carbapenemases of classes B and D were positively correlated with time, suggesting the selection of rare and/or carbapenem-resistant genes in Hospital A. Non-carbapenemase blaVEB also positively correlated with both time and intI1 and was copresent with other ARGs including carbapenem-resistant genes in 6 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). This study highlighted concerns related to the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) during the COVID-19 pandemic that may arise from antibiotic use and untreated hospital wastewater. © 2022 American Chemical Society. | Anti-Bacterial Agents; COVID-19; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Genes, Bacterial; Hospitals; Humans; Pandemics; Waste Water; Amides; Antibiotics; Genes; Hospitals; Sulfur compounds; Wastewater treatment; beta lactamase; carbapenemase; ciprofloxacin; contig; erythromycin; extended spectrum beta lactamase; macrolide; meropenem; penicillin G; quinoline derived antiinfective agent; sulfamethoxazole; sulfonamide; tetracycline derivative; antiinfective agent; Antibiotic-resistant genes; Antimicrobial resistance; Antimicrobial resistances; Carbapenems; Hospital wastewater; Initial phasis; Metagenomics; One-health; Resistant genes; Untreated wastewater; antibiotics; antimicrobial activity; hospital sector; severe acute respiratory syndrome; wastewater treatment; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic resistome; Article; bacterial gene; bacterial genome; carbapenem resistance; concentration (parameter); controlled study; coronavirus disease 2019; gene identification; hospital wastewater; incidence; macrolide resistance; metagenome; microbial community; nonhuman; pandemic; phylogenetic tree; tetracycline resistance; antibiotic resistance; genetics; hospital; human; pandemic; wastewater; Coronavirus; COVID-19 | Antibiotic; antimicrobial resistance (AMR); metagenomics; One-Health; SARS-CoV-2 |
| Prevalence and Retrospective Insight on Tuberculosis in Human Patients in Cross River State, Nigeria; One Health Approach to its Control | Tuberculosis (TB) is a major zoonotic disease of public health importance worldwide. Its burden is more in developing countries due to inadequate surveillance, co-infection with HIV/AIDS and poor social amenities; hence consumption of unpasteurized milk, contaminated meat and inhalation of infected droplets from animals or patients with active TB are the major risk practices. A survey was conducted on TB prevalence from 2013 to 2014 while patients records from TB and Leprosy units of hospitals in the three Agricultural zones (Ogoja, Ikom and Calabar) of Cross River State, Nigeria were assessed from 2000 to 2010. Out of 1,170 sampled patients, 8 (0.7%) were positive, of which 6 and 2 isolates were identified as M. tuberculosis and M. bovis, respectively. Out of 52,558 studied patients files, 235 (0.4%) were positive with varied annual prevalence; the highest (1.0%) and lowest (0.2%) in 2009 and 2011, respectively. The prevalence was higher in dry (0.9% and 0.5%) than the rainy season (0.5% and 0.4%), in females (0.9% and 0.5%) than the males (0.4% and 0.4%) in the survey and retrospective studies, respectively. The age distribution of TB among the patients were; (0% and 0.3%), (0.4% and 0.4%), (0.7% and 0.4%) and (1.5% and 0.7%) for those (≤ 18), (19–40), (41–60) and (> 60) yrs old in the survey and retrospective study, respectively. TB is prevalent in human patients in Cross River State hence, the need for sustainable campaign, continuous surveillance and private/ public health partnership in accurate and early diagnosis, treatment and one health approach to its control. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. | Animals; Female; HIV Infections; Humans; Male; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Nigeria; One Health; Prevalence; Retrospective Studies; Tuberculosis; adult; age distribution; Article; bacterium isolate; controlled study; early diagnosis; female; human; human tissue; leprosy; major clinical study; male; medical record; Mycobacterium bovis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Nigeria; nonhuman; One Health; prevalence; public health; rainy season; retrospective study; river; tuberculosis; animal; Human immunodeficiency virus infection; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; prevalence; tuberculosis |
| How public health crises expose systemic, day-to-day health inequalities in low- and-middle income countries: an example from East Africa | Background: The current Coronavirus disease pandemic reveals political and structural inequities of the world’s poorest people who have little or no access to health care and yet the largest burdens of poor health. This is in parallel to a more persistent but silent global health crisis, antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We explore the fundamental challenges of health care in humans and animals in relation to AMR in Tanzania. Methods: We conducted 57 individual interviews and focus groups with providers and patients in high, middle and lower tier health care facilities and communities across three regions of Tanzania between April 2019 and February 2020. We covered topics from health infrastructure and prescribing practices to health communication and patient experiences. Results: Three interconnected themes emerged about systemic issues impacting health. First, there are challenges around infrastructure and availability of vital resources such as healthcare staff and supplies. Second, health outcomes are predicated on patient and provider access to services as well as social determinants of health. Third, health communication is critical in defining trusted sources of information, and narratives of blame emerge around health outcomes with the onus of responsibility for action falling on individuals. Conclusion: Entanglements between infrastructure, access and communication exist while constraints in the health system lead to poor health outcomes even in ‘normal’ circumstances. These are likely to be relevant across the globe and highly topical for addressing pressing global health challenges. Redressing structural health inequities can better equip countries and their citizens to not only face pandemics but also day-to-day health challenges. © 2022, The Author(s). | Animals; COVID-19; Global Health; Health Inequities; Health Services Accessibility; Humans; Poverty; Public Health; Social Determinants of Health; Tanzania; antibiotic agent; paracetamol; access to information; Africa; antibiotic resistance; Article; financial stress; health care access; health care availability; health care cost; health disparity; human; low income country; medical decision making; medical resource shortage; middle income country; patient empowerment; personnel shortage; prescribing practice; public health; self care; social determinants of health; Tanzania; animal; economics; epidemiology; global health; health care delivery; poverty; prevention and control; public health | Antimicrobial resistance; East Africa; Health inequities; One Health; Qualitative data |
| Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant (B.1.617.2) from a fully vaccinated human to a canine in Georgia, July 2021 | SARS-CoV-2 infection has been described in a wide range of species, including domestic animals such as dogs and cats. Illness in dogs is usually self-limiting, and further diagnostics may not be pursued if clinical signs resolve or they respond to empirical treatment. As new variants emerge, the clinical presentation and role in transmission may vary in animals. This report highlights different clinical presentations and immunological responses in two SARS-CoV-2 Delta-variant-positive dogs with similar exposure to the same fully vaccinated human with a SARS-CoV-2 infection and emphasizes the need for active surveillance and additional One Health research on SARS-CoV-2 variant infections in companion animals and other species. Published 2022. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Zoonoses and Public Health published by Wiley-VCH GmbH. | Animals; Animals, Domestic; Cat Diseases; Cats; COVID-19; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Georgia; Humans; SARS-CoV-2; antiparasitic agent; doxycycline; elasomeran; immunoglobulin G; immunosuppressive agent; mrna 1273; oclacitinib; prednisone; receptor antibody; virus RNA; active surveillance; antibody titer; Article; atopic dermatitis; bulldog; castrated male; clinical article; clinical feature; controlled study; coronavirus disease 2019; COVID-19 serological testing; dermatitis; desensitization; dirofilariasis; disease duration; dog disease; drug dose reduction; drug intermittent therapy; dry cough; flea infestation; Georgia (U.S.); headache; household; human; infection prevention; lethargy; male; medical research; myalgia; nasopharyngeal swab; nonhuman; nose smear; One Health; oropharyngeal swab; palpation; real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; receptor binding; rhinorrhea; RNA virus; Sanger sequencing; SARS-CoV-2 Delta; sequence analysis; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; sneezing; species; tick borne disease; vaccinee; virus detection; virus genome; virus transmission; whole genome sequencing; animal; cat; cat disease; dog; dog disease; domestic animal; genetics; veterinary medicine | companion animal; COVID-19; Delta; One Health; SARS-CoV-2 |
| Microbial Contamination in the Coffee Industry: An Occupational Menace besides a Food Safety Concern? | Respiratory abnormalities among workers at coffee roasting and packaging facilities have already been reported; however, little is known about microbiological contamination inside coffee production facilities. This study intends to assess the microbial contamination (fungi and bacteria) in two coffee industries from Brazil with a multi-approach protocol for sampling and for subsequent analyses using four main sources of samples: filtering respiratory protection devices (FRPD) used by workers, settled dust, electrostatic dust cloths (EDC) and coffee beans. The fungal contamination in the assessed industries was also characterized through the molecular detection of toxigenic species and antifungal resistance. Total bacteria contamination presented the highest values in FRPD collected from both industries (7.45 × 104 CFU·m−2; 1.09 × 104 CFU·m−2). Aspergillus genera was widespread in all the environmental samples collected and sections with clinical relevance (Fumigati) and with toxigenic potential (Nigri and Circumdati) were recovered from FRPD. Circumdati section was observed in 4 mg/mL itraconazole. Sections Circumdati (EDC, coffee beans and settled dust) and Nidulantes (EDC, coffee beans and FRPD) were detected by qPCR. Some of the targeted Aspergillus sections that have been identified microscopically were not detected by qPCR and vice-versa. Overall, this study revealed that microbial contamination is a potential occupational risk in the milling stage and should be tackled when assessing exposure and performing risk assessment. In addition, a multi-sampling campaign should be the approach to follow when assessing microbial contamination and FRPD should be included in this campaign. Occupational exposure to mycotoxins should be considered due to high fungal diversity and contamination. A One Health approach should address these issues in order to prevent consumption of coffee crops and beans infected by fungi and, more specifically, to avoid widespread azole resistance. © 2022 by the authors. | Antifungal Agents; Aspergillus; Azoles; Bacteria; Dust; Food Contamination; Food Safety; Humans; Itraconazole; Mycotoxins; Occupational Exposure; Brazil; mycotoxin; pyrrole; antifungal agent; itraconazole; mycotoxin; pyrrole derivative; bacterium; coffee; dust; food industry; food safety; fungus; milling; occupational exposure; pollution exposure; polymerase chain reaction; risk assessment; sampling; antifungal resistance; antifungal susceptibility; Article; Aspergillus; Aspergillus fumigatus; bacterium contamination; Cladosporium; coffee; controlled study; filtration; food industry; fungal contamination; Gram negative bacterium; human; microbial contamination; microflora; microscopy; nonhuman; occupational exposure; occupational hazard; One Health; organic dust; Paecilomyces; Penicillium; real time polymerase chain reaction; Rhizopus; risk assessment; workplace; Aspergillus; bacterium; dust; food contamination; food safety; occupational exposure | Aspergillus; azole resistance; milling stage; multi-approach for sampling and analyses; One Health approach |
| The Role of the Environment in Dynamics of Antibiotic Resistance in Humans and Animals: A Modelling Study | Antibiotic resistance is transmitted between animals and humans either directly or indirectly, through transmission via the environment. However, little is known about the contribution of the environment to resistance epidemiology. Here, we use a mathematical model to study the effect of the environment on human resistance levels and the impact of interventions to reduce antibiotic consumption in animals. We developed a model of resistance transmission with human, animal, and environmental compartments. We compared the model outcomes under different transmission scenarios, conducted a sensitivity analysis, and investigated the impacts of curtailing antibiotic usage in animals. Human resistance levels were most sensitive to parameters associated with the human compartment (rate of loss of resistance from humans) and with the environmental compartment (rate of loss of environmental resistance and rate of environment-to-human transmission). Increasing environmental transmission could lead to increased or reduced impact of curtailing antibiotic consumption in animals on resistance in humans. We highlight that environment–human sharing of resistance can influence the epidemiology of resistant bacterial infections in humans and reduce the impact of interventions that curtail antibiotic consumption in animals. More data on resistance in the environment and frequency of human–environment transmission is crucial to understanding antibiotic resistance dynamics. © 2022 by the authors. | quinolone derivative; animal experiment; animal model; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic sensitivity; article; Article; bacterial infection; bacteriophage; computer model; disease simulation; environmental parameters; human; livestock; mathematical analysis; mathematical model; metagenomics; nonhuman; outcome assessment; public health; sensitivity analysis; virus transmission | AMR in the environment; antibiotic resistance; mathematical model; One Health |
| Discovery of Rickettsia spp. in mosquitoes collected in Georgia by metagenomics analysis and molecular characterization | Arthropods have a broad and expanding worldwide presence and can transmit a variety of viral, bacterial, and parasite pathogens. A number of Rickettsia and Orientia species associated with ticks, fleas, lice, and mites have been detected in, or isolated from, patients with febrile illness and/or animal reservoirs throughout the world. Mosquitoes are not currently considered vectors for Rickettsia spp. pathogens to humans or to animals. In this study, we conducted a random metagenome next-generation sequencing (NGS) of 475 pools of Aedes, Culex, and Culiseta species of mosquitoes collected in Georgia from 2018 to 2019, identifying rickettsial gene sequences in 33 pools of mosquitoes. We further confirmed the findings of the Rickettsia by genus-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). The NGS and MLST results indicate that Rickettsia spp. are closely related to Rickettsia bellii, which is not known to be pathogenic in humans. The results, together with other reports of Rickettsia spp. in mosquitoes and the susceptibility and transmissibility experiments, suggest that mosquitoes may play a role in the transmission cycle of Rickettsia spp. Copyright © 2022 Pollio, Jiang, Lee, Gandhi, Knott, Chunashvili, Conte, Walls, Hulseberg, Farris, Reinbold-Wasson and Hang. | Aedes; agglutination test; Anopheles gambiae; Article; bioinformatics; Coxiella burnetii; Culex; dengue; Dengue virus; disease surveillance; disease transmission; DNA extraction; fever; gene sequence; Georgia (U.S.); high throughput sequencing; metagenomics; molecular biology; mosquito; multiplex polymerase chain reaction; nonhuman; phylogeny; quality control; quantitative analysis; real time polymerase chain reaction; Rickettsia; Sanger sequencing; sequence alignment; sequence analysis; virus detection | country of Georgia; metagenomic; mosquito; NGS; One Health; pathogen discovery; Rickettsia; vector-borne disease surveillance |
| Effects of Trophic Level and Land Use on the Variation of Animal Antibiotic Resistome in the Soil Food Web | In recent years, it has been increasingly recognized that soil animals are hidden reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and play a vital role in spreading ARGs in soil ecosystems. However, little is known about the variation of ARGs among different animals in the soil food web and effects of trophic levels and land uses on them. We characterized the antibiotic resistomes of 495 soil animal samples collected from six regions across China, including two different land uses. A total of 265 ARGs were detected in all animal samples, and relative abundances of ARGs in animals were significantly higher than in soils. In addition, significant differences in ARGs were observed among different animal groups. Twelve common ARGs were identified among all animal groups, accounting for 17.4% of total ARGs abundance. A positive and significant correlation was found between δ15N values (trophic level) and total ARGs abundance in animals. The relative abundance of ARGs in the soil food web from arable land was higher than forest land. Changes in soil antibiotics may indirectly affect animal resistome by altering soil ARGs. This study suggests that the risk of ARGs spreading through the food web is greater in arable than in forest ecosystems. © 2022 American Chemical Society. | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Ecosystem; Food Chain; Genes, Bacterial; Manure; Soil; Soil Microbiology; Animals; Antibiotics; Ecosystems; Forestry; Genes; Land use; aminoglycoside; antibiotic agent; beta lactam; chloramphenicol; glycopeptide; quinolone derivative; rifamycin; sulfonamide; tetracycline; antiinfective agent; Antibiotic resistance genes; Different ecosystem; Dispersal; Environmental factors; Field surveys; Food chain; Large-scale field survey; Large-scales; One health; Shared antibiotic resistance gene; Soil food chain; antibiotic resistance; dispersal; environmental factor; field survey; food chain; food web; gene; land use; nitrogen isotope; sampling; soil ecosystem; antibiotic resistance gene; antibiotic resistome; arable land; Article; China; Collembola; controlled study; ecosystem; environmental factor; food web; forest; gene; land use; microbial community; mite; nematode; nonhuman; Oribatida; soil; trophic level; worm; animal; bacterial gene; food chain; manure; microbiology; Soils | antibiotic resistance genes; different ecosystems; dispersal; environmental factors; large-scale field survey; One Health; shared ARGs; soil food chain |
| Detection of Acquired Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Domestic Pig (Sus scrofa) and Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Intestinal Samples by Metagenomics Analyses in Hungary | The aim of this study was metagenomics analyses of acquired antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) in the intestinal microbiome of two important food-animal species in Hungary from a One Health perspective. Intestinal content samples were collected from 12 domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) and from a common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Shotgun metagenomic sequencing of DNA purified from the intestinal samples was performed on the Illumina platform. The ResFinder database was applied for detecting acquired ARGs in the assembled metagenomic contigs. Altogether, 59 acquired ARG types were identified, 51 genes from domestic pig and 12 genes from the carp intestinal microbiome. ARG types belonged to the antibiotic classes aminoglycosides (27.1%), tetracyclines (25.4%), β-lactams (16.9%), and others. Of the identified ARGs, tet(E), a blaOXA-48-like β-lactamase gene, as well as cphA4, ampS, aadA2, qnrS2, and sul1, were identified only in carp but not in swine samples. Several of the detected acquired ARGs have not yet been described from food animals in Hungary. The tet(Q), tet(W), tet(O), and mef(A) genes detected in the intestinal microbiome of domestic pigs had also been identified from free-living wild boars in Hungary, suggesting a possible relationship between the occurrence of acquired ARGs in domestic and wild animal populations. © 2022 by the authors. | contig; RNA 16S; antibiotic resistance; Article; Betaproteobacteria; bioinformatics; carp; DNA extraction; DNA purification; DNA sequencing; food safety; gene identification; gene sequence; geographic distribution; high throughput sequencing; Hungary; intestine flora; metagenomics; microbial community; nonhuman; pig; Proteobacteria; quality control; sequence analysis; taxonomy | antibiotic resistance; carbapenemase; food safety; intestinal microbiome; metagenomics; One Health; resistome |
| Risks of SARS-CoV-2 transmission between free-ranging animals and captive mink in the Netherlands | In the Netherlands, 69 of the 126 (55%) mink farms in total became infected with SARS-CoV-2 in 2020. Despite strict biosecurity measures and extensive epidemiological investigations, the main transmission route remained unclear. A better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 transmission between mink farms is of relevance for countries where mink farming is still common practice and can be used as a case study to improve future emerging disease preparedness. We assessed whether SARS-CoV-2 spilled over from mink to free-ranging animals, and whether free-ranging animals may have played a role in farm-to-farm transmission in the Netherlands. The study encompassed farm visits, farm questionnaires, expert workshops and SARS-CoV-2 RNA and antibody testing of samples from target animal species (bats, birds and free-ranging carnivores). In this study, we show that the open housing system of mink allowed access to birds, bats and most free-ranging carnivores, and that direct and indirect contact with mink was likely after entry, especially for free-ranging carnivores and birds. This allowed SARS-CoV-2 exposure to animals entering the mink farm, and subsequent infection or mechanical carriage by the target animal species. Moreover, mink can escape farms in some cases, and two SARS-CoV-2-positive mink were found outside farm premises. No other SARS-CoV-2-RNA-positive free-ranging animals were detected, suggesting there was no abundant circulation in the species tested during the study period. To investigate previous SARS-CoV-2 infections, SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection using lung extracts of carcasses was set up and validated. One tested beech marten did have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, but the closest SARS-CoV-2-infected mink farm was outside of its home range, making infection at a mink farm unlikely. Knowing that virus exchange between different species and the formation of animal reservoirs affects SARS-CoV-2 evolution, continued vigilance and monitoring of mink farms and surrounding wildlife remains vital. © 2022 The Authors. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases published by Wiley-VCH GmbH. | Animals; Chiroptera; COVID-19; Farms; Mink; Mustelidae; Netherlands; RNA, Viral; SARS-CoV-2; virus RNA; adult; animal husbandry; Apodemus sylvaticus; Article; autopsy; biosecurity; bird; botulism; carcass; carnivore; coronavirus disease 2019; domestic cat; female; geographic distribution; human; lung; Meles meles; Mink enteritis virus; Mus musculus; Mustela nivalis; Mustela putorius; Mustelidae; Myodes glareolus; nasopharyngeal swab; Neovison vison; Netherlands; nonhuman; oral swab; Pipistrellus; protein microarray; Pseudomonas; public health; questionnaire; rat; Rattus rattus; real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; rectal swab; risk factor; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; veterinarian; virus detection; virus transmission; Vulpes vulpes; wildlife; agricultural land; animal; bat; epidemiology; Mustelidae; veterinary medicine | animal husbandry; mustelids; One Health; SARS-CoV-2; transmission; wildlife |
| Serological and molecular detection of Leishmania species in dog peripheral blood from Bobo-Dioulasso city, a confirmation of canine leishmaniasis enzootic area for Burkina Faso | Canine leishmaniasis is increasingly reported worldwide and represent a threat to both animal and human health. In a previous pilot study conducted in Bobo-Dioulasso, the second town of Burkina Faso, we reported five cases of canine leishmaniasis. With the perspective of a One Health action plan, and in the context of increasing urbanization, this study aimed to provide new information on Leishmania spp in dogs in this city. A cross-sectional survey was carried out from May to August 2018 in six districts of the city in order to record clinical and biological data from domestic dogs randomly selected per district. Blood samples were collected into EDTA tubes (4-5 mL), treated and stored at −20 °C until further analyses. The infection status of the dogs was performed by serological tests using plasma, and real time-PCR (RT-PCR) to detect Leishmania parasites using buffy coats. Nested PCR was used for typing the Leishmania species in dogs which were found to be RT-PCR positive. A total of 147 dogs were examined clinically and sampled for blood collection, including 53.7% females and 46.3% of males with a median age of 3 years. The seroincidence of Leishmania parasites within this dog population was 4.76% (95% CI:2.26–9.72). The incidence of Leishmania was 10.88% (95% CI: 6.73–17.11) by RT-PCR which was significantly more sensitive (p = 0,047) and a fair concordance was observed between both tests (Kappa = 0.39, p < 0.001). The characterization of Leishmania species revealed that L. major was circulating in this domestic dog population. Our results confirmed the persistence of zoonotic circulation of Leishmania parasites such as L. major currently in Bobo-Dioulasso city and highlight the need for targeted interventions in order to control transmission of leishmaniasis in this region. © 2022 The Authors | Animals; Burkina Faso; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Female; Humans; Leishmania; Leishmaniasis; Leishmaniasis, Visceral; Male; Pilot Projects; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; animal cell; Article; bacterium detection; blood; blood sampling; buffy coat (procedure); Burkina Faso; controlled study; cross-sectional study; female; incidence; Leishmania; leishmaniasis; male; nested polymerase chain reaction; nonhuman; One Health; real time polymerase chain reaction; serology; urbanization; zoonosis; animal; dog; dog disease; genetics; human; leishmaniasis; parasitology; pilot study; preschool child; veterinary medicine; visceral leishmaniasis | Bobo-Dioulasso; Burkina Faso; Diagnostic; Incidence; Leishmania spp; Zoonosis |
| Different Swine Production Systems Can Shape Slurry Resistome at Mechanism and Class Levels Based on Swine Manure Evaluation | Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to public health. Antimicrobial use in animal husbandry is a major concern since it can favor an increase in antimicrobial resistance among farms. Herein, we aim to better understand and characterize the main resistome profiles in microbial communities found in pig farms. Sampling of swine manure was performed in two different timepoints (October 2019 and January 2020) in each of the 14 different swine farms, located in the mesoregion of Western Santa Catarina state in Brazil, a pole of swine product production of worldwide importance. Samples were divided into three groups: farms with the opened regimen and no usage of antimicrobials (F1; n = 10), farms with the closed regimen and usage of antimicrobials (F2; n = 16), and farms with the closed regimen and no usage of antimicrobials (F3; n = 2). The metagenomic evaluation was performed to obtain and identify genetic elements related to antimicrobial resistance using nanopore sequencing. We used ResistoXplorer software to perform composition, alpha and beta diversity, and clustering analysis. In addition, PCR reactions were performed to confirm the presence or absence of seven different beta-lactamase family genes and five phosphoethanolamine transferase gene variants clinically relevant. Our findings based on the identification of resistance genes at the mechanism level showed a prevalence of alteration of the drug target (72.3%) profile, followed by drug inactivation (17.5%) and drug efflux (10.1%). We identified predominantly aminoglycosides (45.3%), tetracyclines (15.9%), and multiclass (11,2%) resistance genes. PCoA analysis indicates differences between F1 and F2 profiles. F2 samples showed increased diversity when compared to the F1 group. In addition, herein we first report the identification of mcr-4 in a slurry sample (C1F1.1) in Santa Catarina State. In general, our findings reinforce that many factors on the practices of animal husbandry are involved in the resistome profile at the mechanism and class levels. Further studies to better understand microbiome and mobilome aspects of these elements are necessary to elucidate transmission pathways between different bacteria and environments. Copyright © 2022 Beltrame, Zamparette, Feltrin, da Cunha, Coltro, Athayde, Filho, Tápparo, Monteiro, Kich, Palmeiro, Wagner, Fongaro, Zárate-Bladés and Sincero. | Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Farms; Manure; Swine; aminoglycoside; antibiotic agent; beta lactamase; beta lactamase AmpC; carbapenem; ciprofloxacin; ethanolamine phosphotransferase; fusidic acid; imipenem; macrolide; phosphoethanolamine; RNA 16S; tetracycline derivative; antiinfective agent; animal experiment; animal husbandry; animal tissue; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic resistome; antibiotic sensitivity; Article; bacterial gene; bacterium identification; controlled study; DNA extraction; drug inactivation; gene amplification; gene library; gene structure; manure; metagenomics; microbial community; microbial diversity; microbiome; multiplex polymerase chain reaction; nanopore sequencing; nonhuman; phylogenetic tree; prevalence; public health; quality control; Sanger sequencing; Santa Catarina (state); swine manure; agricultural land; animal; antibiotic resistance; genetics; microbiology; pig | animal husbandry; antimicrobial resistance (AMR); metagenomics; MinION nanopore device<sup>®</sup>; NGS—next-generation sequencing; One Health (OH); Pigs (Sus domesticus); swine manure (SM) |
| The quality of veterinary medicines and their implications for One Health | Objective Substandard and falsified (SF) veterinary medicines affect animal health, agricultural production and food security and will influence antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in both animals and humans. Yet, our understanding of their extent and impact is poor. We assess the available public domain evidence on the epidemiology of SF veterinary medicines, to better understand their prevalence and distribution and their public health impact on animals and humans. Methods Searches were conducted in Embase, PubMed, MEDLINE, Global Health, Web of Science, CAB Abstracts, Scopus, Google Scholar, Google and websites with interest in veterinary medicines quality up to 28 February 2021. Identified articles in English and French were screened for eligibility. The Medicine Quality Assessment Reporting Guidelines were used to assess the quality of prevalence surveys. Results Three hundred and fourteen publications were included with a failure frequency (the percentage of samples that failed at least one quality test) of 6.5% (2335/35 733). The majority of samples were from post-marketing surveillance by medicines regulatory authorities of the Republic of Korea and China. A small proportion (3.5%) of samples, all anti-infectives, were from 20 prevalence surveys, with more than half (53.1%, 662/1246) collected in low-income and lower middle-income countries in Africa and Asia. The prevalence survey sample size ranged from 4 to 310 samples (median (Q1-Q3): 50 (27-80)); 55.0% of surveys used convenience outlet sampling methods. In 20 prevalence surveys more than half of the samples (52.0%, 648/1246) failed at least one quality test. The most common defects reported were out-of-specification active pharmaceutical ingredient(s) (API) content, failure of uniformity of units and disintegration tests. Almost half of samples (49.7%, 239/481) that failed API content tests contained at least one of the stated APIs below pharmacopoeial limits. Fifty-two samples (4.2% of all samples) contained one or more incorrect API. One hundred and twenty-three publications described incidents (recalls/seizures/case reports) of SF veterinary medicines in 29 countries. Conclusion The data suggest that SF veterinary products are likely to be a serious animal and public health problem that has received limited attention. However, few studies of SF veterinary medicines are available and are geographically restricted. Lower API content and disintegration/dissolution than recommended by pharmacopoeial standards risks treatment failure, animal suffering and contribute to AMR. Our findings highlight the need of more research, with robust methodology, to better inform policy and implement measures to assure the quality of veterinary medicines within supply chains. The mechanism and impact of SF veterinary products on animal and human health, agricultural production, their economy and AMR need more transdisciplinary research. © | albendazole; allicin; amiodarone; amoxicillin; antiparasitic agent; berberine; beta glucan; cefalexin; ciprofloxacin; closantel; colistin; cotrimazine; cotrimoxazole; counterfeit drug; diminazene; doxycycline; enrofloxacin; erythromycin; florfenicol; gentamicin; isometamidium; ivermectin; lamivudine; levamisole; neomycin; ormetoprim; oxytetracycline; penicillin G; phenazone; praziquantel; procaine penicillin; rifampicin; streptomycin; substandard drug; sulfadiazine plus sulfadimidine; sulfadimethoxine; sulfadimidine; sulfafurazole; sulfamethoxazole; sulfamonomethoxine; thiamphenicol; tilmicosin; trimethoprim; tylosin; vaccine; veterinary drug; Africa; animal health; Article; Asia; China; drug quality; drug recall; drug regulation; health survey; human; low income country; medical literature; middle income country; nonhuman; One Health; postmarketing surveillance; prevalence; public health; South Korea | epidemiology; public health; systematic review |
| A global one health perspective on leptospirosis in humans and animals | Leptospirosis is a quintessential one health disease of humans and animals caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. Intra- and interspecies transmission is dependent on 1) reservoir host animals in which organisms replicate and are shed in urine over long periods of time, 2) the persistence of spirochetes in the environment, and 3) subsequent human-animal-environmental interactions. The combination of increased flooding events due to climate change, changes in human-animal-environmental interactions as a result of the pandemic that favor a rise in the incidence of leptospirosis, and under-recognition of leptospirosis because of nonspecific clinical signs and severe signs that resemble COVID-19 represents a “perfect storm” for resurgence of leptospirosis in people and domestic animals. Although often considered a disease that occurs in warm, humid climates with high annual rainfall, pathogenic Leptospira spp have recently been associated with disease in animals and humans that reside in semiarid regions like the southwestern US and have impacted humans that have a wide spectrum of socioeconomic backgrounds. Therefore, it is critical that physicians, veterinarians, and public health experts maintain a high index of suspicion for the disease regardless of geographic and socioeconomic circumstances and work together to understand outbreaks and implement appropriate control measures. Over the last decade, major strides have been made in our understanding of the disease because of improvements in diagnostic tests, molecular epidemiologic tools, educational efforts on preventive measures, and vaccines. These novel approaches are highlighted in the companion Currents in One Health by Sykes et al, AJVR, September 2022. © 2022 American Veterinary Medical Association. All rights reserved. | Animals; COVID-19; Disease Outbreaks; Humans; Leptospira; Leptospirosis; One Health; Zoonoses; doxycycline; leptospirosis vaccine; rain; antibiotic resistance; Article; attitude to health; awareness; bacterial shedding; chronic infection; clinical feature; contamination; control strategy; coronavirus disease 2019; cost effectiveness analysis; diagnostic test; disease severity; domestic animal; drug efficacy; epidemic; fecal contamination; flooding; geography; global health; health care quality; health education; high risk patient; homelessness; human; human-animal interaction; human-animal-environment interaction; humidity; immunity; incidence; Leptospira; leptospirosis; molecular epidemiology; nonhuman; organismal interaction; pandemic; pathophysiology; physician; public health; risk reduction; semiarid climate; socioeconomics; spectrum; spirochete; United States; urine; vaccination; veterinarian; animal; Leptospira; leptospirosis; One Health; veterinary medicine; zoonosis |
| The Study of Veterinary Medicine: Is Education Leading in the Right Direction? | [No abstract available] | Animals; Curriculum; Education, Veterinary; Veterinary Medicine; animal health; Article; attention; community; curriculum; daily life activity; government; human; implementation science; information technology; language disability; medical education; medical student; nonhuman; One Health; public health; risk; scientific literature; speech disorder; teaching; training; university; veterinarian; veterinary education; veterinary medicine; workplace; animal; education |
| Leptospira borgpetersenii Leucine-Rich Repeat Proteins and Derived Peptides in an Indirect ELISA Development for the Diagnosis of Canine Leptospiral Infections | Domestic and stray dogs can be frequently infected by Leptospira, and thus may represent a source for transmission of this zoonotic disease in Thailand. Here, we have used peptides derived from a recombinant leucine-rich repeat (LRR) protein of Leptospira, rKU_Sej_LRR_2012M, for the development of an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) aimed at detecting antibodies against Leptospira interrogans, L. borgpetersenii, and L. biflexa, the three major seroprevalences in Thai dogs. The rKU_Sej_LRR_2012M protein is recognized by hyperimmune sera against several leptospiral serovars. The epitope peptides of the rKU_Sej_LRR_2012M showed binding affinities with lower IC50 values than peptides of known antigenic protein LipL32. Four peptides, 2012-3T, 2012-4B, 2012-5B and pool 2012-B, were specifically recognized by rabbit hyperimmune sera against nine serovars from three Leptospira spp. The indirect peptide-based ELISAs with these four peptides were evaluated with the LipL32 ELISA by using a receiver–operator curve (ROC) analysis. All peptides had an area under the curve of ROC (AUC) greater than 0.8, and the sum of sensitivity and specificity for each peptide was greater than 1.5. The degree of agreement of 2012-3T and pool 2012-B and 2012-4B and 2012-5B peptides were in moderate-to-good levels with kappa values of 0.41–0.60 and 0.61–0.80, when compared with LipL32, respectively. This finding would suggest an excellent capability of the 2012-4B and 2012-5B peptide-based ELISAs assay for the diagnosis of canine leptospiral infections. © 2022 by the authors. | epitope; leucine rich repeat protein; outer membrane protein LipL32; peptide; recombinant protein; amino acid sequence; animal experiment; animal model; antigen specificity; antigenicity; area under the curve; Article; binding affinity; controlled study; dog; human; IC50; immunodetection; immunoreactivity; indirect ELISA; Leporidae; Leptospira; Leptospira biflexa; Leptospira borgpetersenii; Leptospira interrogans; leptospirosis; nonhuman; predictive value; protein secondary structure; real time polymerase chain reaction; sensitivity and specificity; seroprevalence; serotype; signal noise ratio | ELISA; emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases; epidemiological surveillance; leptospirosis; leucine-rich repeat (LRR); one health; tropical infectious diseases |
| Molecular diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis on postmortem carcasses during routine meat inspection in Benin: GeneXpert® testing to improve diagnostic scheme | Background and Aim: Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a zoonotic disease of major public health importance, particularly in African countries, where control measures are limited or largely not applied. This study aimed to determine the accuracy of the currently used bovine TB diagnostic method at slaughterhouses in Benin; this is to contribute to the betterment and improvement in the epidemiological surveillance of the disease in the country. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 tissue samples were collected from meat/viscera (lung, liver, heart, kidney, and the gastro-intestinal tract tissues) at Cotonou slaughterhouses from ruminants suspected to be infected with bovine TB during routine meat inspection. The collected samples were analyzed using GeneXpert testing technique as a reference method. Results: Twenty-six samples tested positive out of the 40 suspected tissue samples collected by GeneXpert diagnostic technique; this shows the limitation of the routine meat inspection in detecting bovine TB as currently performed in Benin. Conclusion: The outcome of the use of the molecular technique, therefore, supports the importance of the use of a molecular tool alongside the routine meat inspection for a better understanding of the epidemiology of bovine TB in Benin. However, more robust technical and policy efforts are needed for a sustainable implementation of such a strategy. Copyright: © Boko, et al. | animal experiment; animal model; animal tissue; Article; autopsy; bovine tuberculosis; controlled study; diagnostic test accuracy study; DNA sequence; epidemiological surveillance; fluorescence intensity; fluorescence microscopy; gastrointestinal tissue; incubation time; molecular diagnosis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; nonhuman; nucleic acid amplification techniques; predictive value; public health; rifampicin resistance; sputum | genomic amplification; non-tuberculosis mycobacteria; one health; polymerase chain reaction accuracy; zoonotic tuberculosis |
| Enhancing inter-organizational collaboration for wildlife disease surveillance in Sri Lanka | Management of zoonotic infectious diseases is an urgent global heath imperative. Interdisciplinary approaches for zoonosis management exist in literature, but collaboratively implementing them is a pervasive challenge. The Sri Lanka Wildlife Health Centre (SLWHC) was created in 2011 to coordinate wildlife disease surveillance and response among government agencies. We interviewed SLWHC-affiliated personnel about existing communication and collaboration channels to identify operational needs as well as potential enhancements for the SLWHC’s operations. We used the Policy Sciences’ analytical framework to identify opportunities and challenges for the SLWHC. Study participants held both human and animal health as the utmost priorities. However, their observations indicate that inter-organizational communication barriers and intra-organizational hierarchies still need to be overcome for the Centre’s partnering organizations to collaborate to their fullest potential. Any interventions to enhance the SLWHC’s collaborative capacity for detecting and managing zoonotic disease outbreaks could be strengthened by appealing to participants’ shared value orientations towards enlightenment and respect. A common interest was the desire to collaborate and combine resources, knowledge and personnel to detect, reduce and prevent the incidence of zoonotic disease outbreaks in Sri Lanka. These lessons about institutionalizing communication have considerable relevance for organizational responses to the current SARS-CoV2 pandemic and other zoonoses. © 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH. | Animals; Animals, Wild; COVID-19; Humans; RNA, Viral; SARS-CoV-2; Sri Lanka; Zoonoses; virus RNA; animal health; Article; disease surveillance; environmental policy; female; government; human; interpersonal communication; knowledge; male; nonhuman; organizational efficiency; personnel; semi structured interview; Sri Lanka; training; value orientation; wildlife; zoonosis; animal; epidemiology; veterinary medicine; wild animal; zoonosis | collaboration; disease surveillance; one health; qualitative analysis; Sri Lanka; zoonosis |
| Transmission of Carbapenem Resistance Between Human and Animal NDM-Positive Escherichia coli Strains | Although carbapenem use is prohibited in animals in China, carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli (CREC), especially New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-producing strains, are widely prevalent in food-producing animals. At present, the impact of livestock-associated CREC strains on human populations at the national level is unknown. Here, we conduct a retrospective cross-sectional study to investigate the prevalence of CREC from clinical settings across 22 Chinese provinces or municipalities and analyze anthropogenic factors associated with their presence. We also ascertain the blaNDM and blaKPC abundance among pig and chicken farms and present a detailed genomic framework for CREC of animal and human origin. Overall, 631/29 799 (2.1%) clinical Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolates were identified as CREC. Multivariable analysis revealed that being male, an age below 1, an age between 13 and 18, provinces with greater chicken production, and provinces with higher pig production were associated with higher odds of CREC infection. In general, 73.8% (n = 45/61) of pig farms and 62.2% (n = 28/45) of chicken farms had a blaNDM abundance of 1 × 10−5 to 1 × 10−3 and 1 × 10−3 to 1 × 10−2, respectively. Among all the Chinese NDM-positive E. coli (n = 463) available at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), the genomic analysis revealed that blaNDM-5 and IncX3 were the predominant carbapenemase gene-plasmid combination, while a highly homogeneous relationship between NDM-positive isolates from humans and animals was demonstrated at the plasmid and core genome levels. All the findings suggest frequent CREC transmission between humans and animals, indicating that further discussions on the use of antibiotics in animals and humans are needed, both in China and across the globe. © 2022 THE AUTHORS | Agriculture; DNA; Mammals; Transmissions; Antimicrobial resistance transmission; Antimicrobial resistances; Blanew delhi metallo-β-lactamase-5; Carbapenem resistance; Carbapenems; Food-producing animals; Human population; Metallo-β-lactamase; National level; One health; Escherichia coli | Antimicrobial resistance transmission; bla<sub>NDM-5</sub>; Carbapenem resistance; Escherichia coli; One Health |
| Onchocerca lupi in imported dogs in the UK: implications for animal and public health | Background: Onchocerca lupi is a filarial nematode affecting dogs, and occasionally cats and humans, in continental Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and the USA. Adult worms are usually found in periocular nodules and enucleation is sometimes required if the infection fails to respond to other treatment options. Case presentation: Here, we report the presence of O. lupi in the UK for the first time. Of two dogs re-homed from continental Europe, one developed an ocular nodule seven years after arrival from Portugal. The conjunctival perilimbal mass in its left eye was surgically removed but despite anthelminthic treatment, a further nodule developed in the same eye six months later. In the second case – a dog imported from Romania 12 months earlier – a perilimbal mass was excised from the left eye and prior anthelminthic treatment was supplemented with oral prednisolone and doxycycline. However, nodules recurred, and the left globe was subsequently enucleated. Conjunctival hyperaemia then appeared in the right eye and neither additional anthelminthic treatment nor removal of worm masses failed to prevent the further development of lesions. Excised adult worms were identified in both cases as O. lupi based on morphological characteristics, as well as PCR and sequencing of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 12S rRNA gene fragments. Conclusion: O. lupi parasitosis can apparently remain cryptic in dogs for several years before any clinical signs manifest. Moreover, the progression of infection can be highly aggressive and recalcitrant to both surgical intervention and anthelminthic treatment. Increasingly, former stray dogs of unknown infection status are entering the UK, raising both veterinary and public health concerns. © 2022, The Author(s). | Animals; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Eye; Onchocerca; Public Health; United Kingdom; advocate; anthelmintic agent; cytochrome c oxidase; doxycycline; imidacloprid; ivermectin; melarsomine; moxidectin; prednisolone; RNA 12S; animal experiment; animal health; animal model; antihelminthic therapy; Article; conjunctiva disease; conjunctival hyperemia; dog; granuloma; histopathology; nematode; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; Onchocerca lupi; polymerase chain reaction; public health; United Kingdom; animal; case report; dog; dog disease; epidemiology; eye; genetics; Onchocerca; public health; United Kingdom | Dogs; Humans; Importation; Onchocerca lupi; One health; Public health |
| Perception and Knowledge of Portuguese Veterinarians about the Zoonotic Transmission of Helicobacter pylori and Helicobacter suis: The Need for One Health Intervention | Helicobacter species can colonize the gastrointestinal tract of both humans and animals, and are associated with gastrointestinal and extra-gastrointestinal diseases. Some studies indicate that animals, health professionals, and people in close contact with animals might be at higher risk for infection with gastric Helicobacter spp. Considering that veterinarians are professionals at risk for infection with zoonotic gastric Helicobacters and are also seen by many as health communicators concerning zoonoses, the aim of this study was to evaluate the Portuguese veterinarians’ perception and knowledge of Helicobacter spp. infection and its zoonotic risk/potential. Therefore, a structured questionnaire composed of 34 dichotomic, multiple-choice, rating scale, matrix, drop-down, and open-ended questions was developed and given to Portuguese veterinarians via an online platform from May 2021 to July 2021, and statistical analysis was used to obtain results. There was a total of 149 respondents, most of them (73.8%) being females. Evidently, Portuguese veterinarians have a limited perception regarding Helicobacter spp. infections. Of the respondents that “have heard of Helicobacter”, 17.6% do not know which animal species can be affected by it. Most of the companion animal veterinarians (76.2%) do not consider Helicobacter spp. infection a differential diagnosis when evaluating animals with gastritis. A significant percentage (37.2%) of the respondents that have “heard of H. suis” do not consider it a zoonotic bacterium. There is a need for education and sensitization of veterinarians regarding the potential zoonotic risk of Helicobacter spp. in order to elucidate these professionals to this One Health issue, as the number of reports of non-Helicobacter pylori Helicobacter in livestock, companion, and wild animals is increasing. © 2022 by the authors. | Animals; Female; Gastritis; Helicobacter; Helicobacter heilmannii; Helicobacter Infections; Helicobacter pylori; Humans; Male; One Health; Perception; Portugal; Veterinarians; Portugal; disease spread; disease transmission; health risk; knowledge based system; occupational exposure; perception; public health; animal experiment; animal model; Article; controlled study; cross-sectional study; demography; differential diagnosis; female; food intake; food safety; gastritis; gastrointestinal disease; heartburn; Helicobacter; Helicobacter infection; Helicobacter pylori; hygiene; knowledge; male; meat; nonhuman; occupational health; One Health; perception; public health; questionnaire; sensitization; Staphylococcus capitis; statistical analysis; stomach cancer; veterinarian; wild animal; zoonosis; zoonotic transmission; animal; gastritis; Helicobacter; Helicobacter heilmannii; Helicobacter infection; human; One Health; perception; Portugal | awareness; NHPH; occupational health; One Health; public health; risk communication; zoonosis |
| A vision of a One Health system for Australia: on the need to rethink our health system | [No abstract available] | Animals; Australia; Government Programs; Humans; One Health; Public Health; Zoonoses; animal health; animal reservoir; animal welfare; antibiotic resistance; Article; Australia; Australian bat lyssavirus; climate change; collaborative care team; communicable disease; coronavirus disease 2019; cost effectiveness analysis; disease burden; domestic animal; domestic cat; environmental exposure; environmental health; environmental risk; food safety; general practitioner; government; health care delivery; health care planning; health care system; Hendra virus infection; high risk patient; human; infection control; infection prevention; Japanese encephalitis; medical ethics; medicare; monkeypox; nonhuman; One Health; pandemic; patient referral; pet animal; public health service; risk assessment; sustainable development; veterinarian; virus transmission; wildlife; zoonosis; zoonotic transmission; animal; Australia; public health; zoonosis | Health systems; Veterinary medicine; Zoonoses |
| Infection with a Recently Discovered Gammaherpesvirus Variant in European Badgers, Meles meles, is Associated with Higher Relative Viral Loads in Blood | Herpesviruses are ubiquitous pathogens infecting most animals. Although host immunity continually coevolves to combat virulence, viral variants with enhanced transmissibility or virulence occasionally emerge, resulting in disease burdens in host populations. Mustelid gammaherpesvirus 1 (MusGHV-1) is the only herpesvirus species identified thus far in European badgers, Meles meles. No MusGHV-1 associated pathomorbidity has been reported, but reactivation of MusGHV-1 in genital tracts is linked to impaired female reproductive success. An analysis of a short sequence from the highly conserved DNA polymerase (DNApol) gene previously identified two variants in a single host population. Here we compared genetic variance in blood samples from 66 known individuals of this same free-ranging badger population using a partial sequence comprising 2874 nucleotides of the DNApol gene, among which we identified 15 nucleotide differences resulting in 5 amino acid differences. Prevalence was 86% (59/66) for the common and 17% (11/66) for the novel variant, with 6% (4/66) of badgers presenting with coinfection. MusGHV-1 variants were distributed unevenly across the population, with individuals infected with the novel genotype clustered in 3 of 25 contiguous social groups. Individuals infected with the novel variant had significantly higher MusGHV-1 viral loads in their blood (p = 0.002) after adjusting for age (juveniles > adults, p < 0.001) and season (summer > spring and autumn, p = 0.005; mixed-effect linear regression), likely indicating higher virulence of the novel variant. Further genome-wide analyses of MusGHV-1 host resistance genes and host phenotypic variations are required to clarify the drivers and sequelae of this new MusGHV-1 variant. © 2022 by the authors. | DNA polymerase; nucleotide; Article; autumn; blood sampling; disease surveillance; female; Gammaherpesvirinae; gene amplification; gene mapping; genital system; genotype; geographic distribution; herpes virus infection; Human alphaherpesvirus 1; linear regression analysis; male; Meles meles; morbidity; Mustelidae; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; oral swab; Percavirus; phylogeny; prevalence; real time polymerase chain reaction; rectal swab; Sanger sequencing; sexually transmitted disease; spring; summer; vein puncture; virus load; wildlife | coevolution; genetic epidemiology; one health; red queen hypothesis; sexually transmitted infection |
| Multidrug-Resistant High-Risk Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae Clonal Lineages Occur in Black-Headed Gulls from Two Conservation Islands in Germany | Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterobacterales, including extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, not only emerge in healthcare settings but also in other habitats, such as livestock and wildlife. The spread of these pathogens, which often combine resistance with high-level virulence, is a growing problem, as infections have become increasingly difficult to treat. Here, we investigated the occurrence of ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae in fecal samples from two black-headed gull colonies breeding on two nature conservation islands in Western Pomerania, Germany. In addition to cloacal samples from adult birds (n = 211) and their nestlings (n = 99) during the 2021 breeding season, collective fecal samples (n = 29) were obtained. All samples were screened for ESBL producers, which were then subjected to whole-genome sequencing. We found a total of 12 ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae consisting of 11 E. coli and 1 K. pneumoniae, and including the international high-risk E. coli sequence types (ST)131, ST38, and ST58. Eight of the investigated strains had a MDR genotype and carried a large repertoire of virulence-associated genes, including the pap operon, which is important for urinary tract infections. In addition, we identified many genes associated with adherence, biofilm formation, iron uptake, and toxin production. Finally, our analysis revealed the close phylogenetic relationship of ST38 strains with genomes originating from human sources, underlining their zoonotic and pathogenic character. This study highlights the importance of the One Health approach, and thus the interdependence between human and animal health and their surrounding environment. © 2022 by the authors. | aminoglycoside; ampicillin; cefotaxime; ciprofloxacin; colistin; extended spectrum beta lactamase; genomic DNA; gentamicin; imipenem; iron; macrolide; nalidixic acid; RNA 16S; sulfonamide; tetracycline; toxin; transfer RNA; trimethoprim; adult; amino acid sequence; Article; bacterial strain; bacterial virulence; biofilm; bird; black headed gull; breeding; feces analysis; gene sequence; genotype; Germany; high risk population; iron transport; multidrug resistant Escherichia coli; multidrug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae; nonhuman; phylogeny; point mutation; urinary tract infection; whole genome sequencing | antimicrobial resistance; black-headed gulls; next-generation sequencing; One Health; virulence; wildlife |
| The Tragedy of Liberal Democratic Governance in the Face of Global Threats | In hindsight, the early response of liberal governments to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was chaotic and generally inefficient. Though one might be tempted to attribute these failures to the incompetence of certain political decision-makers, we propose another explanation. Global threats require a coordinated international response, which is only possible if the threat is perceived in the same way by all, and if government priorities are similar. The effectiveness of the response also relies on massive adhesion of citizens to the measures imposed, which in turn requires trust in government. Our hypothesis is that certain fundamental features of liberalism complicate such global and collective responses: neutrality of the state and primacy of the individual over collective society. Liberalism considers that institutions and public policy must not be designed to favor any specific conception of the common good. That which is best for all is usually determined by a “competition of opinions,” which frequently leads to scientific expertise being considered as only one opinion among many. Liberalism also imposes strict respect for individual freedoms and private interests and tends to reject any form of collectivism or dictate imposed by the common good. In order to solve these structural problems and improve society’s management of global threats, we make several proposals, such as the introduction of a minimal and consensual definition of the common good and the promotion of a health policy guided by One Health-like concepts. Overall, our analysis suggests that because political ideologies provide their own definitions of the common good and the place of scientific knowledge in the governance process and can thus affect the response to global threats, they should be urgently taken into consideration by public health experts. Copyright © 2022 Muraille, Naccache and Pillot. | COVID-19; Humans; Pandemics; Public Health; Public Policy; SARS-CoV-2; epidemiology; human; pandemic; public health; public policy | COVID-19; global threats; individualism and collectivism; liberalism; neutrality of the state; One Health (OH) approach; postmodernism |
| Integrative Model of Human-Animal Interactions: A One Health–One Welfare Systemic Approach to Studying HAI | The Integrative Model of Human-Animal Interactions (IMHAI) described herewith provides a conceptual framework for the study of interspecies interactions and aims to model the primary emotional processes involved in human-animal interactions. This model was developed from theoretical inputs from three fundamental disciplines for understanding interspecies interactions: neuroscience, psychology and ethology, with the objective of providing a transdisciplinary approach on which field professionals and researchers can build and collaborate. Seminal works in affective neuroscience offer a common basis between humans and animals and, as such, can be applied to the study of interspecies interactions from a One Health-One Welfare perspective. On the one hand, Jaak Panksepp’s research revealed that primary/basic emotions originate in the deep subcortical regions of the brain and are shared by all mammals, including humans. On the other hand, several works in the field of neuroscience show that the basic physiological state is largely determined by the perception of safety. Thus, emotional expression reflects the state of an individual’s permanent adaptation to ever-changing environmental demands. Based on this evidence and over 5 years of action research using grounded theory, alternating between research and practice, the IMHAI proposes a systemic approach to the study of primary-process emotional affects during interspecies social interactions, through the processes of emotional transfer, embodied communication and interactive emotional regulation. IMHAI aims to generate new hypotheses and predictions on affective behavior and interspecies communication. Application of such a model should promote risk prevention and the establishment of positive links between humans and animals thereby contributing to their respective wellbeing. Copyright © 2022 Leconstant and Spitz. | animal experiment; animal model; animal welfare; article; brain; conceptual framework; controlled study; emotion; emotion regulation; ethology; grounded theory; human; human-animal interaction; interspecific relationship; male; mammal; neuroscience; nonhuman; One Health; perception; prediction; psychology; social interaction; theoretical study; wellbeing | affective neuroscience; affects; animal welfare; behavior; emotions; feeling of safety; human-animal interactions (HAI); primary emotional systems |
| Epidemiological Survey and Confirmation of Autochthonous Cases of Bovine Fasciolosis in the Serrana Mesoregion of Santa Catarina, Brazil | Fasciola hepatica is reported as a trematode of great importance, causing fasciolosis, one of the most neglected zoonotic parasitic diseases in the world. In Brazil, potential losses of around US$ 210 million per year were calculated, with bovine fasciolosis alone. The State of Santa Catarina is located in the South Region of Brazil, with a herd of more than 4 million ruminants. The Serrana Mesoregion, historically free of fasciolosis, is composed of 30 municipalities, which have a consolidated agricultural tradition, mainly in extensive ruminant livestock. The objective of the present work was to investigate the occurrence and distribution of autochthonous cases of bovine fasciolosis in the region. For this, different analyzes were carried out in rural properties from eight municipalities, and in three slaughterhouses under the State Inspection Service (SIE), which received animals from all the Serrana Mesoregion. The rural properties were randomly selected, and up to 20 fecal samples were collected from random cattle older than 1 year, for analysis by coproparasitological sedimentation test. The traceability records of the positives were checked, for identifying autochthonous cases. Additionally, the tracking data of cattle slaughtered between the years of 2018 and 2021, which presented liver condemnations, were analyzed for defining autochthonous cases of bovine fasciolosis. In total, there were fecal samplings in 106 farms, with 1,927 tested cattle. From these, 178 (9.2%) were positive and autochthonous, but the overall result did not reflect the heterogeneity found between the evaluated municipalities. During the analyzed period, 11,556 cattle were slaughtered, with 1,744 (15.1%) liver condemnations due to fasciolosis in animals that never left the Serrana Mesoregion. The present study confirmed the presence of autochthonous cases of bovine fasciolosis in municipalities of the Serrana Mesoregion, and verified a high rate of positivity in animals slaughtered in the regional slaughterhouses. When the prevalence of bovine fasciolosis in vivo was compared with the postmortem positivity index in five municipalities, the results disagreed in four municipalities (p-value < 0.05), emphasizing the need for field investigation for the better understanding of the distribution and frequency of the parasitosis. Copyright © 2022 Américo, Padilha, Arruda, Drescher, de Moura and Chryssafidis. | agricultural land; Article; autochthonous transmission; body weight gain; cattle disease; cattle farming; controlled study; Fasciola hepatica; fascioliasis; feces analysis; in vivo study; liver; livestock; nonhuman; One Health; prevalence; rural area; Santa Catarina (state); sedimentation; slaughterhouse; zoonosis | Fasciola hepatica; one health; prevalence; ruminants; zoonosis |
