Background: Schistosomiasis is a disease that poses major threats to human and animal health, as well as the economy, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Whilst many studies have evaluated the economic impact of schistosomiasis in humans, to date only one has been performed in livestock in SSA and none in Senegal. This study aimed to estimate the financial impact of livestock schistosomiasis in selected regions of Senegal. Methods: Stochastic partial budget models were developed for traditional ruminant farmers in 12 villages in northern Senegal. The models were parameterised using data from a cross-sectional survey, focus group discussions, scientific literature and available statistics. Two scenarios were defined: scenario 1 modelled a situation in which farmers tested and treated their livestock for schistosomiasis, whilst scenario 2 modelled a situation in which there were no tests or treatment. The model was run with 10,000 iterations for 1 year; results were expressed in West African CFA francs (XOF; 1 XOF was equivalent to 0.0014 GBP at the time of analysis). Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the impact of uncertain variables on the disease costs. Results: Farmers surveyed were aware of schistosomiasis in their ruminant livestock and reported hollowing around the eyes, diarrhoea and weight loss as the most common clinical signs in all species. For scenario 1, the median disease costs per year and head of cattle, sheep and goats were estimated at 13,408 XOF, 27,227 XOF and 27,694 XOF, respectively. For scenario 2, the disease costs per year and head of cattle, sheep and goats were estimated at 49,296 XOF, 70,072 XOF and 70,281 XOF, respectively. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the financial impact of livestock schistosomiasis on traditional subsistence and transhumance farmers is substantial. Consequently, treating livestock schistosomiasis has the potential to generate considerable benefits to farmers and their families. Given the dearth of data in this region, our study serves as a foundation for further in-depth studies to provide estimates of disease impact and as a baseline for future economic analyses. This will also enable One Health economic studies where the burden on both humans and animals is estimated and included in cross-sectoral cost–benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses of disease control strategies. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. © 2022, The Author(s).
Background: The Africa One Health University Network (AFROHUN) with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has since 2012 conducted pre and in-service One health (OH) trainings with the objective of improving global health security. These trainings aim to build competencies that, enhance a multidisciplinary approach to solving global health challenges. Despite the investment in OH trainings, there is limited documentation of the extent of acquisition and application of the OH competencies at workplaces. This tracer study explored the extent of acquisition and application of the OH competencies by the AFROHUN-Uganda alumni. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among a random sample of 182 AFROHUN-Uganda alumni of 2013–2018 cohorts. A blended approach of interviewer-administered and self-administered questionnaires was used. Virtual platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft teams, and Skype, and phone interviews were used to collect data when face-to-face interactions with alumni were not possible. Data were collected electronically, either through a link or with the aid of the KoboCollect mobile application, pre-installed on android enabled devices, and analysed using STATA14.0. Results: The majority of respondents, 78.6% (143/182) had jobs that required application of OH knowledge and skills, 95.6% (174/182) had learned employable skills from OH activities and 89.6% (163/182) had applied such skills when searching for employment. About 21.7% (34/180) to a very high extent required OH field-specific theoretical knowledge at their workplaces, 27.4% (43/80) to a very high extent required OH field-specific practical knowledge/skills, 42.7% (67/180) to a high extent required a change in attitude and perceptions towards working with people from different disciplines, 49.0% (77/180) required collaboration and networking skills, and more than half, 51.0% (80/180) required team building skills. Conclusions: The majority of OH alumni to a very high extent acquired and applied OH competences such as teamwork, effective communication, community entry and engagement, report writing and problem-solving skills. This study revealed the significant contribution of the AFROHUN Uganda OH activities towards supportive work environments, and highlights areas of improvement such as supporting the trainees to acquire people-management skills, innovation, and an entrepreneurial mind set. © 2022, The Author(s).
Antibiotic misuse in livestock is a major threat to human health, as bacteria are quickly developing resistance to them. We performed a comparative analysis of 25 faecal metagenomes from swine, poultry, cattle, and humans to investigate their resistance profiles. Our analysis revealed that all genes conferring resistance to antibiotic classes assessed except tetracyclines were more prevalent in poultry manure than in the remaining species. We detected clinically relevant antibiotic resistance genes, such as mcr-1 which confers resistance to polymyxins. Among them, extended-spectrum β-lactamase blaCTX-M genes were particularly abundant in all species. Poultry manure was identified as a hotspot for multidrug resistance, which may compromise medical treatment options. Urgent actions in the livestock industry are imperative to hamper the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. © 2023 The Authors
Over the last decades, canines have experienced a marked increase in their lifespan, mirroring human populations. Several authors have pointed out the domestic dog as a suitable animal model for geropathology translational research. The aim of this study is to assess age-related morbidities and mortality in a population of 269 elderly canines (130 males and 139 females) submitted to necropsy. The organic systems exhibiting the higher number of age-related morbidities were the reproductive, cardiovascular and urinary systems and, in females, also the mammary gland. The prevalence of cardiovascular and urinary disease was significantly higher in males and mammary lesions were exclusively found in females. Urinary disease was more frequent in small breeds dogs, while peritoneum and male genital morbidities were significantly higher in larger breeds. Hyperplastic and degenerative lesions were common morbidities found in this elderly dog population. The main cause of death was neoplasia, which accounted for almost half of the deaths. Cardiovascular and urinary pathology also emerged as a frequent cause of mortality. These findings partially parallel data obtained for human species, displaying cancer and cardiovascular pathology as major causes of disease and death in elderlies. Our data reinforce the potential of the domestic dog for further translational investigations on gerontology, meeting the concept of One Health. © 2022, The Author(s).
Longevity and herd turnover rate are becoming common topics of discussion as the dairy industry strives for con-tinuous improvement in efficiency, profitability, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability. Having the most productive animal fill each slot on a dairy makes strategic replacement and the resulting herd turnover an important tool for producers. Dairy operations can be considered to have slots available to be occupied by cows. The number of slots available is governed by dairy characteristics including parlor size and facility design. With sustainability and profitability goals, producers should aim to fill each slot with the most productive animal. The advantages of a modest surplus of replacement heifers allowing for a higher herd turnover rate are examined and shown to improve herd profitability, enhance welfare, and reduce environmental impact. A model assuming constant demand for dairy foods is presented with increased herd turnover rate leading to more milk production per cow and reduced enteric methane emissions. This analysis demonstrates that all else being equal, raising more replacements (having a relatively higher herd turnover rate and decreased herd-level longevity) improves sustainability compared to management aimed at lower herd turnover rates. Understanding the drivers of herd turnover in dairy production has important implications for the components of one health: animal well-being, food production, and environmental stewardship. The present work examines one tool toward this goal, while the companion Currents in One Health by Nguyen et al, JAVMA, January 2023, takes a broader view of many aspects of dairy sustainability. © 2023, American Veterinary Medical Association. All rights reserved.
Several vaccine candidates for Rift Valley Fever (RVF) are in development for use in humans. A promising candidate, ChAdOx1 RVF vaccine, has been developed for use in both humans and animals, and has undergone field trials in livestock in Kenya. We conducted a qualitative study to explore the acceptability of this novel One Health vaccine for Rift Valley Fever prior to phase II/III trials, in two rural Ugandan cohorts between January to June 2020. Data was obtained from 96 semi-structured interviews at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP) and Kyamulibwa, Kalungu District, in Southern Uganda. The study found that 42% of those interviewed were willing to receive a vaccine that was the same for both humans and animals. 45% of those interviewed said that they would not be willing to receive a One Health vaccine and a further 13% were unsure whether or not they would be happy to receive such a vaccine. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore their reasons for and against the acceptability of a novel One Health vaccine to highlight potential barriers to deployment once a vaccine candidate for RVF becomes available. © 2022 The Authors
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, has infected several animal species, including dogs, presumably via human-to-animal transmission. Most infected dogs reported were asymptomatic, with low viral loads. However, in this case we detected SARS-CoV-2 in a dog from the North African coastal Spanish city of Ceuta presenting hemorrhagic diarrhea, a disease also reported earlier on in an infected dog from the USA. Case presentation: In early January 2021, a West Highland Terrier pet dog from Ceuta (Spain) presented hemorrhagic diarrhea with negative tests for candidate microbial pathogens. Since the animal was in a household whose members suffered SARS-CoV-2 in December 2020, dog feces were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2, proving positive in a two-tube RT-PCR test, with confirmation by sequencing a 399-nucleotide region of the spike (S) gene. Furthermore, next-generation sequencing (NGS) covered > 90% SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence, allowing to classify it as variant B.1.177. Remarkably, the sequence revealed the Ile402Val substitution in the spike protein (S), of potential concern because it mapped in the receptor binding domain (RBD) that mediates virus interaction with the cell. NGS reads mapping to bacterial genomes showed that the dog fecal microbiome fitted best the characteristic microbiome of dog’s acute hemorrhagic diarrhea. Conclusion: Our findings exemplify dog infection stemming from the human SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, providing nearly complete-genome sequencing of the virus, which is recognized as belonging to the B.1.177 variant, adding knowledge on variant circulation in a geographic region and period for which there was little viral variant characterization. A single amino acid substitution found in the S protein that could have been of concern is excluded to belong to this category given its rarity and intrinsic nature. The dog’s pathology suggests that SARS-CoV-2 could affect the gastrointestinal tract of the dog. © 2022, The Author(s).
Background: Prompt diagnosis and treatment of malaria contributes to reduced morbidity, particularly among children and pregnant women; however, in Madagascar, care-seeking for febrile illness is often delayed. To describe factors influencing decisions for prompt care-seeking among caregivers of children aged < 15 years and pregnant women, a mixed-methods assessment was conducted with providers (HP), community health volunteers (CHV) and community members. Methods: One health district from each of eight malaria-endemic zones of Madagascar were purposefully selected based on reported higher malaria transmission. Within districts, one urban and one rural community were randomly selected for participation. In-depth interviews (IDI) and focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted with caregivers, pregnant women, CHVs and HPs in these 16 communities to describe practices and, for HPs, system characteristics that support or inhibit care-seeking. Knowledge tests on malaria case management guidelines were administered to HPs, and logistics management systems were reviewed. Results: Participants from eight rural and eight urban communities included 31 HPs from 10 public and 8 private Health Facilities (HF), five CHVs, 102 caregivers and 90 pregnant women. All participants in FGDs and IDIs reported that care-seeking for fever is frequently delayed until the ill person does not respond to home treatment or symptoms become more severe. Key care-seeking determinants for caregivers and pregnant women included cost, travel time and distance, and perception that the quality of care in HFs was poor. HPs felt that lack of commodities and heavy workloads hindered their ability to provide quality malaria care services. Malaria commodities were generally more available in public versus private HFs. CHVs were generally not consulted for malaria care and had limited commodities. Conclusions: Reducing cost and travel time to care and improving the quality of care may increase prompt care-seeking among vulnerable populations experiencing febrile illness. For patients, perceptions and quality of care could be improved with more reliable supplies, extended HF operating hours and staffing, supportive demeanors of HPs and seeking care with CHVs. For providers, malaria services could be improved by increasing the reliability of supply chains and providing additional staffing. CHVs may be an under-utilized resource for sick children. © 2022, The Author(s).
One Health is a collaborative approach that requires synergies between human, animal and environmental health sectors, other key sectors, and partners supporting these capacity-building efforts. Multiple One Health capacity-building tools are available that can be used independently or together. Two tools that have been used in sequence to inform each other include the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization (OHZDP) Process and University of Minnesota/US Department of Agriculture’s One Health Systems Mapping and Analysis Resource Toolkit™ (OH-SMART). In August 2017, a workshop was held in Islamabad, Pakistan, that integrated these two tools for the first time. In this integrated workshop, we used the OHZDP to develop a list of priority zoonotic diseases for Pakistan and OH-SMART™ to conduct a partner assessment and disease-specific gap analysis. Both tools were used to identify areas for One Health collaboration for the priority zoonotic diseases. Additionally, we trained 11 in-country facilitators representing the human and animal health sectors on both tools. This manuscript describes the integration of these two tools—using the Pakistan workshop as a process case study—to inform future efforts to implement One Health tools synergistically. Implementation of the technical and logistical aspects of the integrated workshop was detailed: (1) workshop preparation, (2) facilitator training, (3) workshop implementation and (4) workshop outcomes. Sixteen months after the workshop, we conducted an in-country facilitator survey to follow-up on the utility of both tools and the training for facilitators. We evaluated facilitator survey results using a qualitative analysis software Atlas.ti. Using the OHZDP Process and OH-SMART™ together achieved continuity between the two processes and provided a professional development opportunity for in-country facilitators. Based on the success of this integrated workshop, partners developing and implementing One Health tools should recognize the importance of collaboration to maximize outcomes. © 2022 The Authors. Zoonoses and Public Health published by Wiley-VCH GmbH. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
The rapid dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a serious health problem on an unprecedented global scale. AMR is predicted to kill more than 10 million people annually by 2050 leading to huge economic losses worldwide. Therefore, urgent action is required at the national as well as international levels to avert this looming crisis. Effective surveillance can play an important role in the containment of AMR spread by providing data to help determine AMR hotspots, predict an outbreak, maintain proper stewardship and propose immediate and future plans of action in this respect. Although many existing databases provide genetic and molecular information on AMR in microorganisms, there is no dedicated database of AMR from non-clinical samples. The FEAMR database is a one-of-its-kind database to provide manually collated and curated information on the prevalence of AMR in food and the environment. For designing the FEAMR webpage, Microsoft Visual Studio with HTML, CSS, ASP.NET, Bootstrap for the front-end and C# for the back-end were used. The FEAMR database is a free access resource (https://feamrudbt-amrlab.mu.ac.in/), accepting verified food- and environment-related AMR submissions from across the globe. To the best of our knowledge, it is probably the first database providing AMR-related surveillance data from non-clinical samples. It is designed from the ‘One Health Approach’ perspective to help in the containment of global AMR spread. Graphical Abstract: Flowsheet of steps for making FEAMR database 1. Research articles relating to Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) were searched on the internet. 2. Data relating to AMR were retrieved from these articles and stored in an MS-Excel sheet. 3. The web pages of the FEAMR database (DB) were created using Microsoft Visual Studio (MVS) and its various tools. HTML, CSS, ASP.NET and Bootstrap were used for the front end and C# used for the back-end of the website. 4. The DB of FEAMR was created using MS SQL Server which was controlled by SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). 5. The data from the MS-Excel sheet in step 2 was stored in the SQL server and displayed on the web page using GridView tool of MVS and C#. The database created was then uploaded on the University of Mumbai (UoM) website, where it can be accessed by all users having the link to the DB (https://feamrudbt-amrlab.mu.ac.in/). [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2022, International Association of Scientists in the Interdisciplinary Areas.
Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous zoonotic parasite, with felines being the only definitive hosts. Cats shed oocysts with their faeces, and seroprevalence studies can be used to indirectly assess the environmental contamination. The current study aimed to evaluate T. gondii seroprevalence in Greek cats and identify possible risk factors. In total, 1554 blood samples were analyzed from different cats across all nine geographic regions of Greece, and a short questionnaire was completed for each cat. A rapid immunochromatographic test was used to detect anti-T. gondii antibodies, IgG type, and 21.8% of cats were seropositive. Regarding risk factors, when chi-square tests were applied, seropositivity was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in rural cats, cats with outdoor access, and hunting cats. Gender, age, ownership, and raw feeding were not significant risk factors, although female, adult, stray, and raw-feeding cats had a higher seroprevalence than their counterparts. Binary logistic regression models were developed to adjust for the confounding effects of the initially recognized risk factors, and only hunting in urban areas remained a significant risk factor. Greek cats had lower seropositivity than the average European value, and the present research highlights the importance of updated seroprevalence and risk factor studies within the context of One-Health. © 2022 by the authors.
African swine fever (ASF) is a fatal animal disease without zoonotic potential but greatly impacts human well-being, especially in the most vulnerable human communities. In Europe, ASF concerns mostly the wildlife domain of health. The main vector of the disease is confirmed to be the wild boar, though long-distance jumps of the infection are due to anthropogenic effects. This study aimed to evaluate the potential role of hunting assistant personnel (beaters and carcass handlers) in ASF spread in Hungary. Based on a personal interview survey, we attempted to identify the epidemiological risk caused by hunting activities and the hunting personnel. The interviews with 58 hunting workers confirmed that an extent backyard pig sector (13 pig farmers) and pork production system (31 pork producers) existed within the study region out of the authorities’ sight. Two pig farmers did not wear special working clothes for pig caring, seven pork producers disposed of slaughter offal in the settlements periphery, and six persons regularly contacted distant pig farms. The revealed knowledge, attitude, and practice of the questioned pig farmers suggested that this sector would be very vulnerable in an epidemic situation; moreover, backyard farms would cause a great risk for wildboar populations. Considering that the study region is the third poorest region of Hungary, these findings called attention to the high epidemiologic risk of socioeconomic inequality between different regions within the European Union. © 2022 The Authors. Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Q fever is a zoonotic disease, resulting from infection with Coxiella burnetii. Infection in cattle can cause abortion and infertility, however, there is little epidemiological information regarding the disease in dairy cattle in Tanzania. Between July 2019 and October 2020, a serosurvey was conducted in six high dairy producing regions of Tanzania. Cattle sera were tested for antibodies to C. burnetii using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A mixed effect logistic regression model identified risk factors associated with C. burnetii seropositivity. A total of 79 out of 2049 dairy cattle tested positive with an overall seroprevalence of 3.9% (95% CI 3.06–4.78) across the six regions with the highest seroprevalence in Tanga region (8.21%, 95% CI 6.0–10.89). Risk factors associated with seropositivity included: extensive feeding management (OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.25–3.77), and low precipitation below 1000 mm (OR 2.76, 95% 1.37–7.21). The disease seroprevalence is relatively low in the high dairy cattle producing regions of Tanzania. Due to the zoonotic potential of the disease, future efforts should employ a “One Health” approach to understand the epidemiology, and for interdisciplinary control to reduce the impacts on animal and human health. © 2022 by the authors.
Background One Digital Health (ODH) aims to propose a framework that merges One Health’s and Digital Health’s specific features into an innovative landscape. FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles consider applications and computational agents (or, in other terms, data, metadata, and infrastructures) as stakeholders with the capacity to find, access, interoperate, and reuse data with none or minimal human intervention. Objectives This paper aims to elicit how the ODH framework is compliant with FAIR principles and metrics, providing some thinking guide to investigate and define whether adapted metrics need to be figured out for an effective ODH Intervention setup. Methods An integrative analysis of the literature was conducted to extract instances of the need-or of the eventual already existing deployment-of FAIR principles, for each of the three layers (keys, perspectives and dimensions) of the ODH framework. The scope was to assess the extent of scatteredness in pursuing the many facets of FAIRness, descending from the lack of a unifying and balanced framework. Results A first attempt to interpret the different technological components existing in the different layers of the ODH framework, in the light of the FAIR principles, was conducted. Although the mature and working examples of workflows for data FAIRification processes currently retrievable in the literature provided a robust ground to work on, a nonsuitable capacity to fully assess FAIR aspects for highly interconnected scenarios, which the ODH-based ones are, has emerged. Rooms for improvement are anyway possible to timely deal with all the underlying features of topics like the delivery of health care in a syndemic scenario, the digital transformation of human and animal health data, or the digital nature conservation through digital technology-based intervention. Conclusions ODH pillars account for the availability (findability, accessibility) of human, animal, and environmental data allowing a unified understanding of complex interactions (interoperability) over time (reusability). A vision of integration between these two worlds, under the vest of ODH Interventions featuring FAIRness characteristics, toward the development of a systemic lookup of health and ecology in a digitalized way, is therefore auspicable. © 2022 Georg Thieme Verlag. All rights reserved.
Land-use conversion changes soil properties and their microbial communities, which, combined with the overuse of antibiotics in human and animal health, promotes the expansion of the soil resistome. In this context, we aimed to profile the resistome and the microbiota of soils under different land practices. We collected eight soil samples from different locations in the countryside of São Paulo (Brazil), assessed the community profiles based on 16S rRNA sequencing, and analyzed the soil metagenomes based on shotgun sequencing. We found differences in the communities’ structures and their dynamics that were correlated with land practices, such as the dominance of Staphylococcus and Bacillus genera in agriculture fields. Additionally, we surveyed the abundance and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factors (VFs) across studied soils, observing a higher presence and homogeneity of the vanRO gene in livestock soils. Moreover, three β-lactamases were identified in orchard and urban square soils. Together, our findings reinforce the importance and urgency of AMR surveillance in the environment, especially in soils undergoing deep land-use transformations, providing an initial exploration under the One Health approach of environmental levels of resistance and profiling soil communities. © 2023 by the authors.
Dog-mediated rabies kills tens of thousands of people each year in India, representing one third of the estimated global rabies burden. Whilst the World Health Organization (WHO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have set a target for global dog-mediated human rabies elimination by 2030, examples of large-scale dog vaccination programs demonstrating elimination remain limited in Africa and Asia. We describe the development of a data-driven rabies elimination program from 2013 to 2019 in Goa State, India, culminating in human rabies elimination and a 92% reduction in monthly canine rabies cases. Smartphone technology enabled systematic spatial direction of remote teams to vaccinate over 95,000 dogs at 70% vaccination coverage, and rabies education teams to reach 150,000 children annually. An estimated 2249 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were averted over the program period at 526 USD per DALY, making the intervention ‘very cost-effective’ by WHO definitions. This One Health program demonstrates that human rabies elimination is achievable at the state level in India. © 2022, The Author(s).
Background: With AMU projected to increase, South East Asia (SEA) is at high risk of experiencing disproportionate health, social, and economic burdens due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Our objective was to identify factors influencing AMR in SEA’s food system and places for intervention by integrating the perspectives of experts from the region to inform policy and management decisions. Materials and methods: We conducted two 6.5 h workshops and two 90-min interviews involving 18 AMR and other disciplinary experts from human, animal, and environment sectors who brainstormed the factors influencing AMR and identified leverage points (places) for intervention. Transcripts and workshop materials were coded for factors and their connections and transcribed into a causal loop diagram (CLD). Thematic analysis described AMR dynamics in SEA’s food system and leverage points for intervention. The CLD and themes were confirmed via participant feedback. Results: Participants constructed a CLD of AMR in the SEA food system that contained 98 factors interlinked by 362 connections. CLD factors reflected eight sub-areas of the SEA food system (e.g., government). Seven themes [e.g., antimicrobial and pesticide use and AMR spread (n = 40 quotes)], six “overarching factors” that impact the entire AMR system [e.g., the drive to survive (n = 12 quotes)], and 10 places for intervention that target CLD factors (n = 5) and overarching factors (n = 2) emerged from workshop discussions. Conclusion: The participant derived CLD of factors influencing AMR in the SEA food system demonstrates that AMR is a product of numerous interlinked actions taken across the One Health spectrum and that finding solutions is no simple task. Developing the model enabled the identification of potentially promising leverage points across human, animal, and environment sectors that, if comprehensively targeted using multi-pronged interventions, could evoke system wide changes that mitigate AMR. Even targeting some leverage points for intervention, such as increasing investments in research and capacity building, and setting and enforcing regulations to control antimicrobial supply, demand, and use could, in turn, shift mindsets that lead to changes in more difficult to alter leverage points, such as redefining the profit-driven intent that drives system behavior in ways that transform AMU and sustainably mitigate AMR. Copyright © 2023 Lambraki, Chadag, Cousins, Graells, Léger, Henriksson, Troell, Harbarth, Wernli, Jørgensen, Carson, Parmley and Majowicz.
The Klebsiella group, found in humans, livestock, plants, soil, water and wild animals, is genetically and ecologically diverse. Many species are opportunistic pathogens and can harbour diverse classes of antimicrobial resistance genes. Healthcare-associated Klebsiella pneumoniae clones that are non-susceptible to carbapenems can spread rapidly, representing a high public health burden. Here we report an analysis of 3,482 genome sequences representing 15 Klebsiella species sampled over a 17-month period from a wide range of clinical, community, animal and environmental settings in and around the Italian city of Pavia. Northern Italy is a hotspot for hospital-acquired carbapenem non-susceptible Klebsiella and thus a pertinent setting to examine the overlap between isolates in clinical and non-clinical settings. We found no genotypic or phenotypic evidence for non-susceptibility to carbapenems outside the clinical environment. Although we noted occasional transmission between clinical and non-clinical settings, our data point to a limited role of animal and environmental reservoirs in the human acquisition of Klebsiella spp. We also provide a detailed genus-wide view of genomic diversity and population structure, including the identification of new groups. © 2022, The Author(s).
β-N-Methyl-Amino-L-Alanine (BMAA) produced by 95% of cyanobacteria is in constant augmentation with cyanobacteria worldwide proliferation due to global warming and eutrophication. Previously, it has been shown that this contaminant induced neurological disorders, notably by acting as a developmental toxin. However, very few studies focus on the impact of BMAA on neuroglial cells, like astrocytes and microglial cells, in a developmental context. In the present study, we investigated whether BMAA disturbs neurogenesis from mice subventricular zone (SVZ) cells and whether this neurotoxin induces neuroinflammation. We show that BMAA at 100 µM disturbs the population of undifferentiated cells (B1 and C cells) and promotes their proliferation. Further, BMAA affects the organization of neuroblasts, indicating that SVZ function could be impaired. BMAA affects neuroinflammatory processes by increasing the release of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNFα. Our study adds to evidence that BMAA may disturb the central nervous system homeostasis by targeting glial cells. We highlighted that BMAA may impair SVZ niches and drives astrocytes and microglial cells into a proinflammatory status, with an ameboid shape for microglia. © 2022 The Authors
Background: Mapping across relevant sectors builds an understanding of a successful multi-sectoral One Health approach. This requires a review and understanding of existing national infrastructure, capacity, resources, and existing mechanisms for collaboration across sectors for addressing zoonotic diseases. The objective of this study is to review and map the existing structures of ministry of health and ministry of agriculture in relation to zoonotic diseases reporting and control, and inter-sectoral collaboration in Jordan. Methods: Jordanian ministerial infrastructures, mechanisms, legislation, responsibilities, programs, and activities related to zoonotic disease detection and reporting were reviewed. Publicly available information of national government agencies drawn from annual reports, official websites, program guidelines, advisories, minutes of meetings, and inter-ministerial communications were also reviewed. In addition, personal interviews with official, subject matter experts, and technical representatives of ministries of health and agriculture were conducted to gather, clarify, and verify data. Results: Although the current infrastructure of both Ministries is organized and well established, several gaps and challenges were identified. The regulations to judge and manage zoonotic disease notification and reporting need to be revised to become thorough and systematic between the two ministries. In addition, inter-ministerial zoonotic diseases reporting and notification between the two ministries is inconsistent, which may prevent reporting zoonotic disease in timely manner. The current reporting and surveillance system is closer to an indicator- based surveillance system which limits the ability to investigate and report new emerging zoonotic diseases. The capability to diagnose zoonotic diseases is not always present, and diagnostic tests used to confirm zoonotic diseases are not readily available or done for all diseases. Conclusions: Development of information sharing agreement between ministries, regulations and band y laws that organize and manage zoonotic disease notification and reporting in Jordan is needed. It is essential to review and modify the current reporting and surveillance systems at the two ministries to allow reporting new emerging zoonotic diseases. Capacity building in terms of zoonotic disease diagnosis remains vital for a One Health approach implementation in Jordan. © 2022 The Authors
[No abstract available]
Objective: Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical parasitic disease caused by blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma. Schistosoma japonicum is zoonotic in China, the Philippines, and Indonesia, with bovines acting as major reservoirs of human infection. The primary objective of the trial was to examine the impact of a combination of human mass chemotherapy, snail control through mollusciciding, and SjCTPI bovine vaccination on the rate of human infection. Methods: A 5-year phase IIIa cluster randomized control trial was conducted among 18 schistosomiasis-endemic villages comprising 18,221 residents in Northern Samar, The Philippines. Results: Overall, bovine vaccination resulted in a statistically significant decrease in human infection (relative risk [RR] = 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.69 to 0.82) across all trial follow-ups. The best outcome of the trial was when bovine vaccination was combined with snail mollusciciding. This combination resulted in a 31% reduction (RR = 0.69; 95% CI = 0.61 to 0.78) in human infection. Conclusion: This is the first trial to demonstrate the effectiveness of a bovine vaccine for schistosomiasis in reducing human schistosome infection. The trial is registered with Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12619001048178). © 2023 The Author(s)
Background: Health, social and economic crises triggered by the Coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) can derail progress and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. This commentary analyses the complex nexus of multi-dimensional impacts of the pandemic on people, prosperity, planet, partnership and peace. From our analysis, we generate a causal loop diagram explaining these complex pathways and proposed policy recommendations. Main text: Health systems, health and wellbeing of people are directly affected by the pandemic, while impacts on prosperity, education, food security and environment are indirect consequences from pandemic containment, notably social measures, business and school closures and international travel restrictions. The magnitude of impacts is determined by the level of prior vulnerability and inequity in the society, and the effectiveness and timeliness of comprehensive pandemic responses. Conclusions: To exit the acute phase of the pandemic, equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines by all countries and continued high coverage of face masks and hand hygiene are critical entry points. During recovery, governments should strengthen preparedness based on the One Health approach, rebuild resilient health systems and an equitable society, ensure universal health coverage and social protection mechanisms for all. Governments should review progress and challenges from the pandemic and sustain a commitment to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. © 2022, The Author(s).
Klebsiella quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae has emerged as a human pathogen and sporadic isolates from non-clinical sources were reported. Here, we described the phenotypic- and genomic-characteristics of a multidrug-resistant (MDR) and potentially hypervirulent (MDR-hv) Klebsiella quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae (KqA1) isolated from hospital wastewater. The antibiotic susceptibility profile of KqA1 was investigated using disk-diffusion method, broth microdilution method, and agar dilution method, and the genetic characteristics of antimicrobial resistance, mobile genetics elements, and virulence were evaluated by genomic DNA sequencing on the Illumina® NovaSeq6000 platform as well as by bioinformatic analysis. Resistome analyses revealed the presence of genes related to resistance to β-lactams, aminoglycosides, quinolones, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, trimethoprim, chloramphenicol, macrolides, and fosfomycin. New genetic contexts to blaGES-16 (carbapenemase gene) and to fosA (fosfomycin resistance gene) were described. A set of mechanisms that can contribute to antibiotic resistance, commonly detected in Klebsiella spp., was also found including chromosomal mutations, efflux systems, proteins, and regulators. Moreover, KqA1 presented genes related to tolerance to metals (arsenic, copper, nickel, cobalt, magnesium, cadmium, zinc, tellurium, selenium) and to biocides (quaternary-ammonium compounds). The isolate was classified as potentially hypervirulent due to a wide range of virulence factors found associated to regulation, motility, biofilm, effector delivery systems, immune modulation, nutritional/metabolic factors, adherence, invasion, and competitive advantage. The occurrence of MDR-hv KqA1 in hospital wastewater points out how this environment matrix plays a crucial role in the maintenance and selection of critical bacterial pathogens. Regarding One Health perspective, it is evident the need for multidisciplinary implementation of control measures for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, not only in hospital settings but also in a general environmental context to mitigate the dissemination of MDR and hv bacteria. © 2022
Azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus is a One Health resistance threat, where azole fungicide exposure compromises the efficacy of medical azoles. The use of the recently authorized fungicide ipflufenoquin, which shares its mode-of-action with a new antifungal olorofim, underscores the need for risk assessment for dual use of antifungals. © 2022 The Authors
In this article, which is part of the Currents in One Health series, the role of naturally occurring ocular disease in animals is reviewed with emphasis on how the understanding of these ocular diseases contributes to one health initiatives, particularly the pathogenesis and treatment of ocular diseases common to animals and humans. Animals spontaneously develop ocular diseases that closely mimic those in humans, especially dry eye disease, herpes virus infection (cats), fungal keratitis (horses), bacterial keratoconjunctivitis, uveitis, and glaucoma. Both uveitis and glaucoma are common in domestic animals and humans, and many similarities exist in pathogenesis, genetics, and response to therapy. Furthermore, the study of inherited retinal disease in animals has particularly epitomized the one health concept, specifically the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working to attain optimal health for people and animals. Through this study of retinal disease in dogs, innovative therapies such as gene therapy have been developed. A unique opportunity exists to study ocular disease in shared environments to better understand the interplay between the environment, genetics, and ocular disease in both animals and humans. The companion Currents in One Health by Gilger, AJVR, December 2022, addresses in more detail recent studies of noninfectious immune-mediated animal ocular disease and their role in advancing ocular health globally. © 2022 by the Author(s).
Antimicrobial resistance is a complex One Health issue that exists in both human and veterinary medicine. To mitigate this ever-growing problem, efforts have been made to develop guidelines for appropriate antimicrobial use (AMU) across sectors. In veterinary medicine, there are notable literature gaps for proper AMU in minor species. We conducted a structured narrative review covering the years of July 2006 – July 2021 to find antimicrobial treatments for common bacterial infections in exotic (birds, rodents, reptiles, and others), small flock (chickens, turkeys, and other fowl), and backyard small ruminant (sheep and goats) species. We retrieved a total of 4728 articles, of which 21 articles met the criteria for our review. Studies were grouped according to species, syndrome, and body system affected. Other data extracted included the bacterial pathogen(s), treatment (active ingredient), and geographical origin. Body systems reported included: intra-oral (n = 4), gastrointestinal (n = 1), respiratory (n = 2), reproductive (n = 1), skin (n = 3), aural (n = 1), ocular (n = 4), and other/multisystem (n = 5). By species, our search resulted in: rabbit (n = 5), rat (n = 2), guinea pig (n = 1), chinchilla (n = 1), guinea pig and chinchilla (n = 1), avian species (n = 1), psittacine birds (n = 2), loris and lorikeets (n = 1), turtles (n = 2), lizards (n = 1), goats (n = 2) and sheep (n = 2). The results of our findings identified a distinct gap in consistent antimicrobial treatment information for commonly encountered bacterial conditions within these species. There is a persisting need for clinical trials that focus on antibacterial treatment to strengthen the evidence base for AMU within exotic, small flock, and backyard small ruminant species. © 2022, The Author(s).
Salmonellosis is an important gastrointestinal infection in humans and cause of foodborne outbreaks in the world. In this context, molecular characterization is essential to understand how the strains circulate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genotypic distribution of S. Heidelberg according to the source of isolation. The genetic relatedness of the S. Heidelberg isolates was determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The most prevalent pulsotypes of cluster A were BRJF6X01.006 (27/95 = 28,42%) related between 1995 and 2011 in broilers, poultry meat and poultry farms, meat product and human, and BRJF6X01.001 (21/95 = 22,10%) related between 2011 and 2017 in wild animals, broilers, poultry meat, poultry farms, meat product, animal feed, and pork meat. The pulsotype BRJF6X01.001 shows a high distribution in the environmental and productive chain. The degree of similarity between pulsotypes BRJF6X01.006 and BRJF6X01.001 is 88%. To ensure the safety of human and animal health, holistic approaches, including surveillance of Salmonella throughout the environment and in the production chain, together with control measures, are critical. As transmission of Salmonella from food producing animals to wildlife and to the environment is considered potential public health problem, information on the survival and persistence of Salmonella in the environment and in potential reservoirs is of considerable importance. © 2023, Fundacao APINCO de Ciencia e Tecnologia Avicolas. All rights reserved.
University of California Health (UCH) provided a system-wide, rapid response to the humanitarian crisis of unaccompanied children crossing the southern U.S. border in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. In collaboration with multiple federal, state, and local agencies, UCH mobilized a multidisciplinary team to deliver acute general and specialty pediatric care to unaccompanied children at 2 Californian emergency intake sites (EISs). The response, which did not disrupt normal UCH operations, mobilized the capacities of the system and resulted in a safe and developmentally appropriate environment that supported the physical and mental health of migrant children during this traumatic period. The capacities of UCH’s 6 academic health centers ensured access to trauma-informed medical care and culturally sensitive psychological and social support. Child life professionals provided access to exercise, play, and entertainment. Overall, 260 physicians, 42 residents and fellows, 4 nurse practitioners participated as treating clinicians and were supported by hundreds of staff across the 2 EISs. Over 5 months and across both EISs, a total of 4,911 children aged 3 to 17 years were cared for. A total of 782 children had COVID-19, most infected before arrival. Most children (3,931) were reunified with family or sponsors. Continuity of care after reunification or placement in a long-term shelter was enhanced by use of an electronic health record. The effort provided an educational experience for residents and fellows with instruction in immigrant health and trauma-informed care. The effort benefitted from UCH’s recent experience of providing a system-wide response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lessons learned are reported to encourage the alignment and integration of academic health centers’ capacities with federal, state, and local plans to better prepare for and respond to the accelerating need to care for those in the wake of disasters and humanitarian crises. Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is a powerful tool to analyze bacterial genomes rapidly, and can be useful to study and detect AMR genes. We carried out WGS on a group of Escherichia coli (n = 30), sampled from healthy animals and farm environment in four pigsties in northern Italy. Two × 250bp paired end sequencing strategy on Illumina MiSeq™ was used. We performed in silico characterization of E. coli isolates through the web tools provided by the Center for Genomic Epidemiology (cge.cbs.dtu.dk/services/) to study AMR and virulence genes. Bacterial strains were further analyzed to detect phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility against several antimicrobials. Data obtained from WGS were compared to phenotypic results. All 30 strains were MDR, and they were positive for the genes blaCTX-M and blaTEM as verified by PCR. We observed a good concordance between phenotypic and genomic results. Different AMR determinants were identified (e.g., qnrS, sul, tet). Potential pathogenicity of these strains was also assessed, and virulence genes were detected (e.g., etsC, gad, hlyF, iroN, iss), mostly related to extraintestinal E. coli pathotypes (UPEC/APEC). However, enterotoxin genes, such as astA, ltcA and stb were also identified, indicating a possible hybrid pathogenic nature. Various replicons associated to plasmids, previously recovered in pathogenic bacteria, were identified (e.g., IncN and IncR plasmid), supporting the hypothesis that our strains were pathogenic. Eventually, through WGS it was possible to confirm the phenotypic antibiotic resistance results and to appreciate the virulence side of our ESBL-producing E. coli. These findings highlight the need to monitor commensal E. coli sampled from healthy pigs considering a One Health perspective. © 2022 by the authors.
The One Health approach shows that people, animals, plants, and environmental factors can affect each other. Phages are one of the mobile genetic elements. Quinolones are a critical group of antibiotics for both human and animal health and monitoring their antimicrobial resistance is very important. The aim of the study is to determine the frequency of the quinolone resistance gene in bacteriophage DNA fractions obtained from healthy calf stool samples. In our study, 50 samples from 6-9 months old calves, which were found to be healthy and not treated with any group of antibiotics in Sanlıurfa province, were included. DNA isolation was made from phage lysates of stool samples and specific primers were used qnrA, qnrB and qnrS genes. qPCR was performed on LightCycler480. Despite not receiving any antibiotic treatment, qnrB was the most detected gene among the phage DNA fractions detected in 11 calves. While qnrA, qnrB and qnrS quinolone resistance genes were detected together in one sample, qnrB and qnrS resistance genes were found together in two samples. Our data, obtained from the study in Türkiye to search for antimicrobial resistance genes in phage fractions, showed the importance of the One Health approach and determined that it was highly effective in quinolone resistance gene shedding in healthy calves that had never been treated with antibiotics. It has been concluded that in empirical treatment with quinolone, attention should be paid to all living things and unconscious antibiotic use may cause the spread of resistance genes more than expected. © 2023, Veteriner Fakultesi Dergisi. All rights reserved.
One Health is a transdisciplinary approach used to address complex concerns related to human, animal, plant, and ecosystem health. One Health frameworks and operational tools are available to support countries and communities, particularly for the prevention and control of zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance and the protection of food safety. However, One Health has yet to be implemented in a manner that fully considers the complexities and interconnectedness of the diverse influences that have impacts at a larger system level. This lack of consideration can undermine the sustainability of any positive outcomes. To ensure the One Health approach can function effectively within the new global context of converging and escalating health, social, economic, and ecological crises, it must evolve and expand in three overlapping dimensions: (1) Scope: the partners, knowledge, and knowledge systems included, (2) Approach: the techniques, methodologies, and scholarship considered, and (3) Worldview inclusivity: the interweaving of other worldviews together with the mainstream scientific worldview that currently predominates. Diverse partners and knowledge from outside the mainstream health and scientific sectors, including Indigenous peoples and representatives of local communities, and traditionally generated knowledge, must be included. These systems of knowledge can then be braided together with mainstream science to comprise a holistic framework for decision-making. Scholarship and methodologies being applied in other fields and contexts to solve complex challenges and manage uncertainty, such as collaborative governance, social-ecologic systems theory, and complexity science, must be recognized and incorporated. The spectrum of considered worldviews must also expand to authentically integrate the expanded scope and approach into action and sustainable impact. By increasing community and social engagement and by recognizing and entwining different worldviews, the plurality of disciplines, and traditional and scientific ways of knowing to address community concerns in the contexts in which they exist, we can ensure that One Health remains effective and true to its paradigm in our rapidly changing and complex world. Copyright © 2023 Mumford, Martinez, Tyance-Hassell, Cook, Hansen, Labonté, Mazet, Mumford, Rizzo, Togami, Vreedzaam and Parrish-Sprowl.
According to the World Health Organization, the two major public health threats in the twenty-first century are antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic-resistant genes. The reason for the global prevalence and the constant increase of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is owed to the steady rise in overall antimicrobial consumption in several medical, domestic, agricultural, industrial, and veterinary applications, with consequent environmental release. These antibiotic residues may directly contaminate terrestrial and aquatic environments in which antibiotic-resistance genes are also present. Reports suggest that metal contamination is one of the main drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Moreover, the abundance of antibiotic-resistance genes is directly connected to the predominance of metal concentrations in the environment. In addition, microplastics have become a threat as emerging contaminants because of their ubiquitous presence, bio-inertness, toughness, danger to aquatic life, and human health implications. In the environment, microplastics and AMR are interconnected through biofilms, where genetic information (e.g., ARGs) is horizontally transferred between bacteria. From this perspective, we tried to summarize what is currently known on this topic and to propose a more effective One Health policy to tackle these threats. © 2022 by the authors.
It is necessary to advance the study of stray dog population management strategies because of the vulnerable situation in which stray dogs live which may pose risks to humans, animals, and the environment. The objective of this study was to describe the implementation of the Community Dog Program in 5 municipalities in the state of Paraná, listing its main characteristics and the most common challenges encountered. The study was carried out from July to November 2016 in the municipalities of Araucária, Lapa, Pinhais, Piraquara, and Ponta Grossa through their Municipal Health and Environment Secretariats. The Community Dog Program was implemented when the register included 20 dogs per municipality, and it was considered that the secretariats were able to continue the program autonomously. The methodology was based on the pioneer municipalities in the state, Araucária, and Campo Largo, regarding the registration of community dogs. The program was implemented in 5 phases: initial planning, screening of animals, registration of dogs and caretakers, veterinary procedures with animals included in the program, and a final meeting with all involved. The method initially proposed a review required by the field. For example, in the municipality of Piraquara, most dogs (75%, 15/20) did not have a fixed shelter, but met the other criteria. Inadequate handling by the caretakers regarding the supply of food and water to the dogs, the limited structure and human resources of the secretariats to carry out these actions, and the behavior of chasing the dogs were the main challenges of implantation. As for the chasing of moving objects by animals, there was a greater tendency for dogs to exhibit such behavior as adults, with time spent in the place of 1 to 5 years and in front of homes. The methodology used in the 5 municipalities proved to be applicable for the implementation of the Community Dog Program, as it allowed a list of relevant characteristics for population management and the most common challenges. The experience of implementing the program in 5 municipalities has the potential to support the construction of a guiding protocol to facilitate its implementation in other municipalities. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.
Background: Zoonoses are public health threats that cause severe damage worldwide. Zoonoses constitute a key indicator of One Health (OH) and the OH approach is being applied for zoonosis control programmes of zoonotic diseases. In a very recent study, we developed an evaluation system for OH performance through the global OH index (GOHI). This study applied the GOHI to evaluate OH performance for zoonoses in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: The framework for the OH index on zoonoses (OHIZ) was constructed including five indicators, 15 subindicators and 28 datasets. Publicly available data were referenced to generate the OHIZ database which included both qualitative and quantitative indicators for all sub-Sahara African countries (n = 48). The GOHI algorithm was used to estimate scores for OHIZ. Indicator weights were calculated by adopting the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process. Results: Overall, five indicators associated with weights were generated as follows: source of infection (23.70%), route of transmission (25.31%), targeted population (19.09%), capacity building (16.77%), and outcomes/case studies (15.13%). Following the indicators, a total of 37 sub-Sahara African countries aligned with OHIZ validation, while 11 territories were excluded for unfit or missing data. The OHIZ average score of sub-Saharan Africa was estimated at 53.67/100. The highest score was 71.99 from South Africa, while the lowest score was 40.51 from Benin. It is also worth mentioning that Sub-Sahara African countries had high performance in many subindicators associated with zoonoses, e.g., surveillance and response, vector and reservoir interventions, and natural protected areas, which suggests that this region had a certain capacity in control and prevention or responses to zoonotic events. Conclusions: This study reveals that it is possible to perform OH evaluation for zoonoses in sub-Saharan Africa by OHIZ. Findings from this study provide preliminary research information in advancing knowledge of the evidenced risks to strengthen strategies for effective control of zoonoses and to support the prevention of zoonotic events. © 2022, The Author(s).
There is growing evidence that shows Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile is a pathogen of One Health importance with a complex dissemination pathway involving animals, humans, and the environment. Thus, environmental discharge and agricultural recycling of human and animal waste have been suspected as factors behind the dissemination of Clostridium difficile in the community. Here, the presence of C. difficile in 12 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Western Australia was investigated. Overall, C. difficile was found in 90.5% (114/126) of raw sewage influent, 48.1% (50/104) of treated effluent, 40% (2/5) of reclaimed irrigation water, 100% (38/38) of untreated biosolids, 95.2% (20/21) of anaerobically digested biosolids, and 72.7% (8/11) of lime-amended biosolids. Over half of the isolates (55.3% [157/284]) were toxigenic, and 97 C. difficile ribotypes (RTs) were identified, with RT014/020 the most common (14.8% [42/284]). Thirteen C. difficile isolates with the toxin gene profile A1 B1 CDT1 (positive for genes coding for toxins A and B and the binary C. difficile transferase toxin [CDT]) were found, including the hypervirulent RT078 strain. Resistance to the antimicrobials fidaxomicin, vancomycin, metronidazole, rifaximin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, meropenem, and moxifloxacin was uncommon; however, resistance to clindamycin, erythromycin, and tetracycline was relatively frequent at 56.7% (161/284), 14.4% (41/284), and 13.7% (39/284), respectively. This study revealed that toxigenic C. difficile was commonly encountered in WWTPs and being released into the environment. This raises concern about the possible spillover of C. difficile into animal and/or human populations via land receiving the treated waste. In Western Australia, stringent measures are in place to mitigate the health and environmental risk of recycling human waste; however, further studies are needed to elucidate the public health significance of C. difficile surviving the treatment processes at WWTPs. IMPORTANCE Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a leading cause of antimicrobial-associated diarrhea in health care facilities. Extended hospital stays and recurrences increase the cost of treatment and morbidity and mortality. Community-associated CDI (CA-CDI) cases, with no history of antimicrobial use or exposure to health care settings, are increasing. The isolation of clinically important C. difficile strains from animals, rivers, soil, meat, vegetables, compost, treated wastewater, and biosolids has been reported. The objective of this study was to characterize C. difficile in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Australia. We found that C. difficile can survive the treatment processes of WWTPs, and toxigenic C. difficile was being released into the environment, becoming a potential source/reservoir for CA-CDI. Copyright © 2022 Chisholm et al.
Brucellosis is an infectious zoonotic disease considered as a threat to public health and pastoralist livelihoods. Symptoms of the disease can lead to gender-specific ailments such as abortions in women and orchitis in men. Pastoralists and their families are at high risk of contracting the disease. Access to health information reinforces existing knowledge and contributes to disease prevention. However, in developing countries, interventions for knowledge sharing on zoonotic diseases predominantly target men. This study aimed to describe mechanisms of knowledge production and transfer on brucellosis according to gender, by assessing the way knowledge affects behaviours of pastoral communities. A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among a pastoral community (PC) of the Folon region in north-west Côte d’Ivoire. The study included transhumant pastoralists, sedentary livestock owners, shepherds and their wives. By using mixed methods, 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted, and 320 questionnaires were completed. Statistical analysis with chi-square (χ2) comparison tests was performed to compare variables between men and women. Findings were interpreted through the concept of specialisation of the social exclusion theory. We found that gender influences access to information on brucellosis and transfer of knowledge on brucellosis appeared gender-biased, especially from veterinarians towards men in the community. The social labour division and interventions of veterinarians through awareness reinforce the knowledge gap on brucellosis between men and women. Men and women consume raw milk, whilst only men in general handle animal discharges with bare hands. To improve the control of brucellosis, knowledge on best practice should be shared with pastoral communities using the One Health approach that encourages mutual learning. Innovative strategies based on gender daily tasks such as safe dairy processing by women and safe animal husbandry to expand their herd for men can be the entry point for the prevention of brucellosis. © 2022, The Author(s).
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most challenging public health problems worldwide, and integrated surveillance is a key aspect in a One Health control strategy. Additionally, Salmonella is the second most common zoonosis in Europe. We aimed to investigate the circulation of Salmonella strains and their related antimicrobial resistance in human, environmental, and wild boar samples from the northwest of Italy, from 2018 to 2020, to obtain a more comprehensive epidemiological picture. Salmonella Typhimurium 1,4,[5],12:i:-, S. Veneziana and S. Newport were the most common serotypes occurring in humans, the environment, and wild boar, respectively. Antimicrobial resistance was rather common in Salmonella isolates, with those from human displaying the highest degree of resistance against sulfadiazine–sulfamerazine–sulfamethazine (>90% of resistance). Moreover, resistance against azithromycin were exclusively observed in environmental samples, while only 7.7% (95% CI = 1.6–20.8) of wild boar isolates experienced resistance against trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole. Multidrug resistance concurrently involved up to seven antimicrobial classes in human isolates, including third-generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Salmonella Typhimurium in humans and serotypes Goldcoast and Rissen from environmental sources showed the highest levels of resistance. This study shows diverse antimicrobial resistance patterns in Salmonella strains isolated from different sources and gives a broad picture of antimicrobial resistance spread in wild animals, humans, and the environment. © 2022 by the authors.
Objectives: Around the globe, escalation in rare opportunistic microbial infections is alarming as they are heading steadily towards ‘superbug’ status. In aquatic ecosystems, plastic fosters multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria and plays a significant role in trafficking antibiotic-resistant genes. In this study, we focused on a multidrug-resistant bacterial strain isolated from microbial communities found on plastic substrates of a volcanic lake in central Italy. Methods: Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing strains were isolated from both raw water and plastic substrates for a comparative investigation using microbiological and molecular methods, and antibiotic susceptibility profiling was performed against a panel of ten antibiotics. Results: Molecular identification and Basic Local Alignment Search Tool analysis confirmed an almost identical sequencing pattern of two isolated strains and their homology with Morganella morganii. Antibiotic susceptibility tests revealed their resistance to almost all tested antibiotics. Class 1 integron-associated gene (intI1) and seven antibiotic resistance genes were detected in both strains, confirming their superbug status. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study on the characterization of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing M. morganii isolated from the biofilm of plastic substrates, depicting the potential toxicity of plastic in harbouring and dispersing virulent, multidrug-resistant, opportunistic human pathogens. © 2023 The Author(s)
Background: Residual malaria transmission is the result of adaptive mosquito behavior that allows malaria vectors to thrive and sustain transmission in the presence of good access to bed nets or insecticide residual spraying. These behaviors include crepuscular and outdoor feeding as well as intermittent feeding upon livestock. Ivermectin is a broadly used antiparasitic drug that kills mosquitoes feeding on a treated subject for a dose-dependent period. Mass drug administration with ivermectin has been proposed as a complementary strategy to reduce malaria transmission. Methods: A cluster randomized, parallel arm, superiority trial conducted in two settings with distinct eco-epidemiological conditions in East and Southern Africa. There will be three groups: human intervention, consisting of a dose of ivermectin (400 mcg/kg) administered monthly for 3 months to all the eligible population in the cluster (>15 kg, non-pregnant and no medical contraindication); human and livestock intervention, consisting human treatment as above plus treatment of livestock in the area with a single dose of injectable ivermectin (200 mcg/kg) monthly for 3 months; and controls, consisting of a dose of albendazole (400 mg) monthly for 3 months. The main outcome measure will be malaria incidence in a cohort of children under five living in the core of each cluster followed prospectively with monthly RDTs Discussion: The second site for the implementation of this protocol has changed from Tanzania to Kenya. This summary presents the Mozambique-specific protocol while the updated master protocol and the adapted Kenya-specific protocol undergo national approval in Kenya. BOHEMIA will be the first large-scale trial evaluating the impact of ivermectin-only mass drug administration to humans or humans and cattle on local malaria transmission Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.govNCT04966702. Registered on July 19, 2021. Pan African Clinical Trials Registry PACTR202106695877303. © 2023, The Author(s).
The advance of human activities in a disorderly way has accelerated in recent decades, intensifying the environmental impacts directly linked to these practices. The atmosphere, essential for the maintenance of life, is increasingly saturated with pollutants, offering risks to practically all the inhabitants of the planet, a process that, in addition to causing illness and early mortality, is related to serious financial losses (including in the production of goods), dangerous temperature increase and severe natural disasters. Although this perception is not recent, the global initiative to control the different mechanisms that trigger the commitment of biodiversity and irreversible climate changes arising from pollution is still very incipient, given that global initiatives on the subject emerged just over 50 years ago. Brazil is a territory that centralizes many of these discussions, as it still faces both political and economic obstacles in achieving a sustainable growth model as it was agreed through the United Nations 2030 Agenda. Even though there is little time left for the completion of these goals, much remains to be done, and despite the fulfillment of this deadline, the works will certainly need to be extended for much longer until an effective reorientation of consciousness occurs. Scientific researches and discussions are fundamental tools to the understanding of issues still little explored in this field. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
We evaluated the mortality due to aspergillosis in free-ranging Magellanic penguins during their migration and the reproductive season. A total of 98 carcasses of penguins were collected along 370 km of coastline in Southern Brazil, between June 2017 and October 2019, and from reproductive colonies in Patagonian Argentina, in January 2019. All animals were necropsied, and only proven cases were computed. Aspergillosis was diagnosed in 2.5% of the penguins evaluated during their migration route. Our study, of the Southern coast of Brazil, is the first to demonstrate that aspergillosis is an important cause of mortality in free-ranging penguins. The implications of these findings in the One Health context are discussed. © The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology.; We evaluated the mortality due to aspergillosis in free-ranging Magellanic penguins during their migration and the reproductive season. The mortality rate of penguins was 2.5% during their migration route. Our study is the first to demonstrate aspergillosis as an important cause of mortality in free-ranging penguins.
There have been efforts dedicating to investigating the effect of high levels of oxytetracycline (OTC) on tetracycline (TC) resistance among zoonotic pathogen Aeromonas hydrophila (AH), an antibiotic-resistant bacterial indicator. However, the dynamic behavior of TC-resistant AH in response to environmentally relevant OTC concentrations at a population-level has not been fully understood. Here we developed a bacterial population dynamic model to quantify TC-resistant AH posed by OTC-dependent resistance selection pressure. The key environmental factors known as water temperature, water activity, and pH were incorporated into model to produce pattern-oriented simulation outcomes. We estimated resistance acquisition number (R0) and showed that R0 was >1 at water temperature <26 °C, indicating coexistence of resistant- and susceptible-AH. Sensitivity tests revealed that cell density-dependent conjugation rate indicated crucial for influencing R0 estimation. Our results also indicated that maximum fraction of TC-resistant AH was mostly affected by temperature/activity in water and increased with increasing of OTC concentrations. We estimated OTC concentrations causing 50 % maximum fold-change of TC-resistant AH fraction ranging from 7 to 19 µg/L. Our findings suggest that control of TC resistance in AH requires particularly attention to water with temperature 26 °C lower, water activity 0.95 higher with pH ∼ 5–8. Our mechanistic framework provides a useful tool-kit to improve our understanding of the critical role of OTC stress-induced macroenvironmental interactions in a TC resistance − AH system and highlights the potential for antimicrobial management to promote resilience in aquatic ecosystems. © 2023 The Author(s)
Objectives: The occurrence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in poultry poses the public health threat of zoonotic transmission to humans. Hence, this study assessed the occurrence of drug-resistant Escherichia coli in broilers in the largest live bird market in Kwara State, Nigeria in December 2020. Methods: Presumptive E. coli isolates were isolated using the European Union Reference Laboratory guideline of 2017 and confirmed via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS). Broth microdilution was performed on confirmed E. coli isolates to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration. Five extensively drug-resistant (XDR) isolates were selected for Illumina whole genome sequencing to predict the resistome, phylotype, sequence type, serotype, and diversity of mobile genetic elements in these isolates. Results: Of the 181 broiler caecal samples, 73 E. coli isolates were obtained, of which 67 (82.0%) and 37 (50.6%) were determined as MDR (resistant to at least three classes of antibiotics) and XDR (resistant to at least five classes of antibiotics), respectively. Whole genome sequencing revealed diverse sequence types, phylogroups, and serotypes (ST165/B1 – O80:H19, ST115/A – Unknown: H7, ST901/B1 – O109:H4, ST4087/F – O117:H42, and ST8324/A – O127:H42). The XDR E. coli isolates encoded resistance to fluoroquinolones, fosfomycin, sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin and cephalosporins, trimethoprim, aminoglycosides, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and macrolides. Mutations in the gyrA gene conferring resistance to fluoroquinolones were also detected. There was a positive correlation between phenotypic resistance patterns and the antibiotic resistance genes that were detected in the sequenced isolates. The XDR isolates also harbored two disinfectant resistance genes (qacE and sitABCD) that conferred resistance to hydrogen peroxide and quaternary ammonium compounds, respectively. The genome of the XDR isolates harbored several mobile genetic elements and virulence-associated genes, which were conserved in all sequenced XDR isolates. Conclusions: This is the first report of co-carriage of antibiotic resistance genes and disinfectant resistance genes in E. coli isolated from broilers in Ilorin, Nigeria. Our findings suggest that poultry are potential carriers of clonally diverse, pathogenic, MDR/XDR E. coli, which may have detrimental zoonotic potentials on human health. © 2022 The Author(s)
Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and irrational antimicrobial usage (AMU) are a global problem, particularly evident in low- and middle-income countries including Pakistan. Our study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and prescribing practices (KAP) of field veterinarians regarding AMR and AMU. Methods: A questionnaire-based online survey was conducted using Google forms to collect data on AMR and AMU from veterinary practitioners in Pakistan between July 25, 2020, and February 2, 2021. The questionnaire was comprised of four sections: 1) Demographic information of the respondents, 2) Knowledge about AMR, and AMU, 3) Antibiotic prescribing behavior, attitudes and influencing drivers and 4) Practices of respondents about AMU and drug disposal. Results: A total of 545 participants (Male 84%, Female 16%) completed the survey. The respondents’ qualification (P = 0.008), gender (P = 0.007) and type of practitioner (P < 0.001) had a significant association with the mean knowledge score about AMR. Most of the veterinarians had never attended any training, symposium, or awareness session on AMR (63%) and methods to detect antibiotic residues (71%). Participating veterinarians frequently included “critically important antimicrobials” in their treatment regimens. Most veterinarians (60%) prescribed antibiotics for viral diseases. Our study showed that about 44% of veterinarians disposed of expired drugs in the garbage. Antibiotics were prescribed as mass medication and for prophylaxis by 59% and 33% of the veterinarians, respectively, while about 60% of the veterinarians prescribed antibiotics starting with double doses in their treatment regimens. Importantly, only 4% of the veterinarians recognized the concept of One Health. Male veterinarians had higher odds of prescribing mass medication (OR=3.07, P < 0.001) and use of antibiotics for disease prophylaxis (OR=2.31, P = 0.002) than females, whereas improper disposal of expired antimicrobials (OR=2.12, P = 0.003) was more common in female veterinarians. Government veterinarians had 2 (OR=1.95, P = 0.016) and 3 (OR=3.05, P < 0.001) times higher odds to prescribe antibiotics prophylactically and for mass treatments, respectively compared to full-time private veterinarians. Conclusion: Our study identifies key factors influencing veterinarians’ decision about antimicrobial prescription and highlights important shortcomings such as lack of training on rational use of antimicrobials, frequent use of antimicrobials for mass medication and prophylaxis, widespread use of critically important antimicrobials, and improper disposal practices. There is a dire need to improve knowledge of veterinary practitioners regarding AMR and to adopt a One Health approach to rationalize AMU at the national level in line with the regional and international guidelines. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.
Salmonella is a Gram-negative enteric bacterium responsible for the foodborne and waterborne disease salmonellosis, which is the second most reported bacterial zoonosis in humans. Many animals are potential sources of salmonellosis, including dogs, cats, and other pets. We report the case of an outbreak of salmonellosis in a family in central Italy, affecting two children and involving their three dogs as carriers. One of the children needed medical care and hospitalisation. Isolation and analysis of stool samples from the sibling and the animals present in the house were carried out. Serotyping allowed the identification of S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium in its monophasic variant for all the isolates. The results of whole-genome sequencing confirmed that the strains were tightly related. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test documented the resistance to ampicillin, sulfamethoxazole, and tetracycline. The origin of the zoonotic outbreak could not be assessed; however, the case study showed a clear passage of the pathogen between the human and non-human members of the family. The possibility of a transmission from a dog to a human suggests the need for further studies on the potential ways of transmission of salmonellosis through standard and alternative feed. © 2022 by the authors.
OBJECTIVES: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a parasitic disease caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Taenia solium. NCC mainly occurs in Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia and can cause a variety of clinical signs/symptoms. Although it is a rare disease in Europe, it should nonetheless be considered as a differential diagnosis. The aim of this study was to describe clinical characteristics and management of patients with NCC diagnosed and treated in Europe. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of published and unpublished data on patients diagnosed with NCC in Europe (2000-2019) and extracted demographic, clinical and radiological information on each case, if available. RESULTS: Out of 293 identified NCC cases, 59% of patients presented initially with epileptic seizures (21% focal onset); 52% presented with headache and 54% had other neurological signs/symptoms. The majority of patients had a travel or migration history (76%), mostly from/to Latin America (38%), Africa (32%) or Asia (30%). Treatment varied largely depending on cyst location and number. The outcome was favorable in 90% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: Management of NCC in Europe varied considerably but often had a good outcome. Travel and migration to and from areas endemic for T. solium will likely result in continued low prevalence of NCC in Europe. Therefore, training and guidance of clinicians is recommended for optimal patient management. © International Society of Travel Medicine 2022. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Introduction: The complex and growing problem generated by the rapid expansion of unplanned urban areas includes high population density and increased infestation by vectors responsible for the transmission of several diseases. This requires interdisciplinary and intersectoral interventions due to the burden of diseases, especially those caused by arboviruses, which can present severe forms and generate significant pressure on health systems, especially in more vulnerable regions. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial distribution of arboviruses transmitted by Aedes aegypti (dengue, Zika, and chikungunya) and assess their correlations with demographic, social, and environmental data from the state of Tocantins, Brazil. Methods: This was an ecological time series study of the dengue, Zika, and chikungunya arboviruses in the state of Tocantins. Local Moran’s indices were used to observe the spatial autocorrelation of cases and to delimit clusters of high and low risks, correlating them with socioenvironmental indicators, in addition to analyses to detect case clusters. Results: The state reported a mean incidence of 591 annual cases of arbovirus infections per 100,000 inhabitants and a stationary trend with seasonal pattern. Female Pardo individuals aged 20–39 years, with an education level of below college education, were the most affected; Palmas and Araguaína, the two largest cities in the state in terms of economy and population, were the most affected. Conclusion: A better understanding of the interaction between social characteristics, the environment, and ecology of wild animals and vectors is important for the development of mechanisms to predict outbreaks as well as to develop strategies to reduce and/or mitigate recurring arboviral epidemics and other diseases. © 2023 The Authors
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing threat to global health. The risks and sanitary consequences of AMR are disproportionately experienced by those living in Low- and Middle- Income Countries (LMICs). While addressing antibiotic use has largely been documented in hospital settings, the understanding of social drivers affecting antibiotic prescribing and dispensing practices in the context of human and animal health in primary care (PC) in LMICs remains extremely limited. We seek to explore how in-locus and multi-level social factors influence antibiotic prescriptions and dispensing practices in the context of human and animal health in primary care in Brazil. This is a baseline qualitative One Health study; semi-structured interviews and field observations were undertaken in primary care sites located in a socioeconomically vulnerable area in the city of São Paulo, the most populated city of Brazil. Twenty-five human and animal healthcare professionals (HP) were purposely sampled. Interview data were subject to thematic analysis. Three overlapping social drivers were identified across HPs’ discourses: individual and behavioral challenges; relational and contextual factors influencing the overprescription of antibiotics (AB); and structural barriers and systemic contradictions in the health system. As a result of the interaction between multilevel in-locus and structural and contextual factors, HPs experience contextual and territorial challenges that directly influence their risk perception, diagnosis, use of laboratorial and image exams, time and decision to undergo treatment, choice of AB and strategies in coping with AB prescriptions. Additionally, in-locus factors influencing antibiotic prescriptions and dispensing practices are intertwined with individual accounts of risk management, systemic contradictions and ambivalences in the national health system. Our findings suggest interventions tackling AB use and AMR in Brazil should consider the social context, the complex health system structure and current integrated programs and services in PC. © 2023 da Silva-Brandao 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.
From July–November 2020, mink (Neogale vison) on 12 Utah farms experienced an increase in mortality rates due to confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. We conducted epidemiologic investigations on six farms to identify the source of virus introduction, track cross-species transmission, and assess viral evolution. Interviews were conducted and specimens were collected from persons living or working on participating farms and from multiple animal species. Swabs and sera were tested by SARS-CoV-2 real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) and serological assays, respectively. Whole genome sequencing was attempted for specimens with cycle threshold values <30. Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected by rRT-PCR or serology in ≥1 person, farmed mink, dog, and/or feral cat on each farm. Sequence analysis showed high similarity between mink and human sequences on corresponding farms. On farms sampled at multiple time points, mink tested rRT-PCR positive up to 16 weeks post-onset of increased mortality. Workers likely introduced SARS-CoV-2 to mink, and mink transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to other animal species; mink-to-human transmission was not identified. Our findings provide critical evidence to support interventions to prevent and manage SARS-CoV-2 in people and animals on mink farms and emphasizes the importance of a One Health approach to address emerging zoonoses. © 2022 by the authors.
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a vector-borne viral hemorrhagic disease with global clinical significance. Certain species of ticks are vectors of CCHF, which can be transmitted from animals to humans and humans to humans by direct exposure to blood or other body fluids. The zoonotic transmission at the human–animal interface from viremic animal hosts to humans is a public health concern with a paucity of data in Nigeria. Samples from 184 pastoral cattle from three local government areas (LGAs) of Plateau state, Nigeria, were screened for CCHF virus using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ID Screen® CCHF Double Antigen for Multi-Species). Overall seropositivity of 30.4% (n = 56) (95% CI: 23.88%, 37.63%) was recorded from the study areas in Plateau State, while 48/126 (38.1%, 95% CI: 29.59%, 47.17%) sampled cows tested positive for CCHFV antibodies. Seropositivity was significantly higher (p < 0.001) among older cattle greater than two years, 54.69% (95% CI: 2.88%, 11.24%) compared to cattle younger than two years, 17.5% (95% CI: 11.17%, 25.50%). The location of farms played a significant role in the seropositivity of CCHF with the least risk observed in Wase LGA. CCHF is an important zoonotic disease in different parts of the globe with a high risk of transmission to pastoralists, livestock keepers/slaughterhouse workers, and veterinarians who handle animals. There is a need for a collaborative one-health approach with various stakeholders to unravel the dynamics of CCHFV epidemiology in Nigeria. © 2022 by the authors.
The importance of the One Health concept in attempting to deal with the increasing levels of multidrug-resistant bacteria in both human and animal health is a challenge for the scientific community, policymakers, and the industry. The discovery of the plasmid-borne mobile colistin resistance (mcr) in 2015 poses a significant threat because of the ability of these plasmids to move between different bacterial species through horizontal gene transfer. In light of these findings, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that countries implement surveillance strategies to detect the presence of plasmid-mediated colistin-resistant microorganisms and take suitable measures to control and prevent their dissemination. Seven years later, ten different variants of the mcr gene (mcr-1 to mcr-10) have been detected worldwide in bacteria isolated from humans, animals, foods, the environment, and farms. However, the possible transmission mechanisms of the mcr gene among isolates from different geographical origins and sources are largely unknown. This article presents an analysis of whole-genome sequences of Escherichia coli that harbor mcr-1 gene from different origins (human, animal, food, or environment) and geographical location, to identify specific patterns related to virulence genes, plasmid content and antibiotic resistance genes, as well as their phylogeny and their distribution with their origin. In general, E. coli isolates that harbor mcr-1 showed a wide plethora of ARGs. Regarding the plasmid content, the highest concentration of plasmids was found in animal samples. In turn, Asia was the continent that led with the largest diversity and occurrence of these plasmids. Finally, about virulence genes, terC, gad, and traT represent the most frequent virulence genes detected. These findings highlight the relevance of analyzing the environmental settings as an integrative part of the surveillance programs to understand the origins and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. Copyright © 2023 Calero-Cáceres, Rodríguez, Medina, Medina, Ortuño-Gutiérrez, Sunyoto, Dias, Bastidas-Caldes, Ramírez and Harries.
This work explores three areas of relevance to the gut microbiome in the context of One Health; the incorporation of the microbiome in food safety risk assessment of xenobiotics; the identification and application of beneficial microbial components to various areas under One Health, and specifically, in the context of antimicrobial resistance. We conclude that, although challenging, focusing on the microbiota resilience, function and active components, are critical for advancing the incorporation of the gut microbiome in the risk assessment of xenobiotics. Moreover, research technologies, such as toxicomicrobiomics, culturomics and genomics, especially in combination, have revealed that the human microbiota may be a promising source of beneficial taxa or other components, with the potential to metabolise and biodegrade xenobiotics. These may have possible applications in several health areas, including in animals or plants for detoxification or in the environment for bioremediation. This approach would be of particular interest for antimicrobials, with the potential to ameliorate antimicrobial resistance development. Finally, we propose that the concept of resistance to xenobiotics in the context of the gut microbiome may deserve further investigation in the pursuit of holistically elucidating their involvement in the balance between health and disease. © 2022 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KgaA on behalf of the European Food Safety Authority.
Background: Human, animal, and environmental health are increasingly threatened by the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. Inappropriate use of antibiotic treatments commonly contributes to this threat, but it is also becoming apparent that multiple, interconnected environmental factors can play a significant role. Thus, a One Health approach is required for a comprehensive understanding of the environmental dimensions of antibiotic resistance and inform science-based decisions and actions. The broad and multidisciplinary nature of the problem poses several open questions drawing upon a wide heterogeneous range of studies. Objective: This study seeks to collect and catalogue the evidence of the potential effects of environmental factors on the abundance or detection of antibiotic resistance determinants in the outdoor environment, i.e., antibiotic resistant bacteria and mobile genetic elements carrying antibiotic resistance genes, and the effect on those caused by local environmental conditions of either natural or anthropogenic origin. Methods: Here, we describe the protocol for a systematic evidence map to address this, which will be performed in adherence to best practice guidelines. We will search the literature from 1990 to present, using the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, Embase, and the Web of Science Core Collection as well as the grey literature. We shall include full-text, scientific articles published in English. Reviewers will work in pairs to screen title, abstract and keywords first and then full-text documents. Data extraction will adhere to a code book purposely designed. Risk of bias assessment will not be conducted as part of this SEM. We will combine tables, graphs, and other suitable visualisation techniques to compile a database i) of studies investigating the factors associated with the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the environment and ii) map the distribution, network, cross-disciplinarity, impact and trends in the literature. © 2022 The Authors
Extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae is a medically important pathogen that commonly causes human nosocomial infections. Since veterinary emergency and critical care services have also significantly progressed over the last decades, there are increasing reports of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae causing hospital-associated infections in companion animals. We present microbiological and genomic analysis of a multidrug-resistant ESBL-positive K. pneumoniae (LCKp01) isolated from a fatal infection in a dog admitted to a veterinary intensive care unit. LCKp01 strain belonged to the sequence type ST392 and displays a KL27 (wzi-187) and O-locus 4 (O4). A broad resistome and presence of the blaCTX-M-15 ESBL gene were predicted. SNP-based phylogenomic analysis, using an international genome database, clustered LCKp01 (60–80 SNPs differences) with K. pneumoniae ST392 from human and animal infections, isolated at 4-year interval, whereas phylogeographical analysis confirmed successful expansion of ST392 as a global clone of One Health concern. © 2022 The Authors
Current and emerging veterinary public health (VPH) challenges raised by globalization, climate change, and industrialization of food production require the veterinarian’s role to evolve in parallel and veterinary education to adapt to reflect these changes. The European Food Hygiene catalog was developed to provide a list of topics relevant to Day One Competencies in VPH. A study was undertaken to ensure that the catalog and teaching practices were pertinent to the work of public health veterinarians. Relevant stakeholders were consulted using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. A long questionnaire was distributed to 49 academics teaching VPH in European veterinary schools to review topics listed in the catalog. Eighteen responses were received (36.7%), representing 12 European countries. There was general agreement that most topics were appropriate for the undergraduate VPH curriculum. A short questionnaire was distributed to 348 European veterinarians working in the industry. Twenty-four questionnaires (6.7%) were received, representing eight European countries. Despite the low participation rate, topics needing greater emphasis in the undergraduate curriculum included Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), food microbiology, and audits. Seven semi-structured interviews with public health veterinarians working in the UK identified the need for curricular changes including greater practical experience and a shift from a focus on meat inspection to risk management. This may be partly achieved by replacing traditional lectures with authentic case-based scenarios. The study findings can be used to inform the future direction to VPH education for veterinary students across Europe.
The paucity of information on the genomic diversity of drug-resistant bacteria in most food-producing animals, including poultry in Nigeria, has led to poor hazard characterization and the lack of critical control points to safeguard public health. Hence, this study used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to assess the presence and the diversity of antibiotic resistance genes, mobile genetic elements, virulence genes, and phages in Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase producing Escherichia coli (ESBL – E. coli) isolates obtained from poultry via the EURL guideline of 2017 in Ilorin, Nigeria. The prevalence of ESBL – E. coli in poultry was 10.5 % (n = 37/354). The phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing showed that all the ESBL— E. coli isolates were multi-drug resistant (MDR). The in-silico analysis of the WGS raw-read data from 11 purposively selected isolates showed that the isolates had a wide array of ARGs that conferred resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, and 8 other classes of antibiotics (fluoroquinolones, foliate pathway antagonists, aminoglycoside, phenicol, tetracycline, epoxide, macrolides, and rifamycin). All the ARGs were in the bacterial chromosome except in two isolates where plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) was detected. Two isolates carried the gyrAp.S83L mutation which confers resistance to certain fluoroquinolones. The mobilome consisted of several Col-plasmids and the predominant IncF plasmids belonged to the IncF64:A-:B27 sequence type. The virulome consisted of genes that function as adhesins, iron acquisition genes, toxins, and protectins. Intact phages were found in 8 of the 11 isolates and the phageome consisted of representatives of four families of viruses: Myoviridae (62.5 %, n = 5/8), Siphoviridae (37.5 %, n = 3/8), Inoviridae (12.5 %, n = 1), and Podoviridae (12.5 %, n = 1/8). ESBL – E. coli isolates harboured 1–5 intact phages and no ARGs were identified on any of the phages. Although five of the isolates belonged to phylogroup A, the isolates were diverse as they belonged to different serotype and sequence types. Our findings demonstrate the high genomic diversity of ESBL – E. coli of poultry origin in Ilorin, Nigeria. These diverse isolates harbor clinically relevant ARGs, mobile elements, virulence genes, and phages that may have detrimental zoonotic potentials on human health. © 2023 The Authors
Mongolia is an expansive nation, dominated by agriculture with livestock under nomadic herder care contributing significantly to the economy. Mongolian veterinarians service these herder’s livestock and dogs, and are often the first point of contact for animal health advice, including ectoparasite prophylaxis. Dogs are competent reservoir and sentinel hosts for several zoonotic vector-borne diseases (VBD). These diseases in dogs can be dependent on the presence of other sylvatic or domestic reservoir hosts, the abundance of competent vectors and supporting environmental and climatic conditions. Therefore, VBD present a true One Health challenge. The direct and close association of nomadic herders with livestock and livestock protection dogs coupled with frequent relocation (associated with nomadic lifestyles) places all three host groups (herders, livestock and livestock protection dogs) at risk of acquiring VBD. Our study set out to investigate the overall knowledge, perceptions and practices of Mongolian veterinarians towards canine vector-borne diseases (CVBD). A hardcopy questionnaire was delivered through the Mongolian Veterinary Medical Association to a cohort of veterinarians representing 39% of Mongolia’s total veterinary workforce with a 53% response rate. A total of 297 participants were included in the final study. The bulk of participants were livestock veterinarians, followed by mixed animal veterinarians. Overall Mongolian veterinarians’ knowledge of CVBD were scored as low (58%; 0–3 points) or medium (32%; 4–6 points) on a ten-point scale. There was a significant discrepancy between self-rated and actual knowledge. Females had 1.7 (95% CI 1.1, 2.8) times higher knowledge compared with males and those veterinarians who had 3–5 canine consultations per day were also found to have higher knowledge (odds ratio 1.4, 95% CI 0.4, 4.5). Most veterinarians utilised two or less resources to source information on CVBD over the previous 12 months. The potential of climate-induced emergence of vector populations and their associated pathogens makes it imperative that veterinarians in Mongolia have the necessary resources and knowledge to be on the forefront of CVBD preparedness and mitigation. This study identifies the knowledge gaps and addresses the need for further resources for Mongolian veterinarians to effectively engage in a One Health approach for negating CVBD in animals and humans. © 2022 The Authors
Rabies is a global problem and is endemic in India. Rabies cases occur throughout the year, and the majority of cases are associated with dog bites. We report a rabies outbreak investigation in an urban area of Delhi conducted by our multidisciplinary team, and its role in proactively controlling a rabies outbreak by concerted efforts and timely advice to various stakeholders using a “One Health Approach.” A veterinary care NGO from Delhi picked up a suspected rabid stray dog and submitted a brain sample for diagnosis of rabies, as they had received information from a resident of the locality about an unprovoked animal bite incident involving a girl (category III bite) and close contact of two more stray dogs living in the vicinity of the suspected rabid dog. The laboratory diagnosis of rabies in the suspected dog brain sample was confirmed by using Fluorescence Antibody Test (FAT). A multi-expert investigation team with expertise in medicine, microbiology, veterinary sciences, laboratory diagnosis, and public health was constituted to investigate the outbreak. The timely, adequate, and appropriate anti-rabies management initiated for the animal bite victims in this incident could prevent rabies. Proactive involvement of multiple stakeholders and knowledge attributes and practice of local residents could prevent human rabies. As there were no further reports of dog bites from the area, the chain of rabies transmission in that area could be controlled. The presented work is a classical case scenario where concerted efforts of all stakeholders achieved effective control and prevention of rabies by adopting the “One Health approach”. © 2022 by the authors.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a current public health issue globally. To counter this phenomenon and prioritize AMR in the health sector, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a list of bacterial pathogens against which the development of new antimicrobial agents is urgently needed, designating the ESKAPE pathogens (i.e., Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) with a ‘priority status’. Moreover, the One Health High Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) states that human health is closely linked to animal and environmental health, thus promoting a holistic One Health approach in order to be prepared to address possible emerging health threats from the human–animal–environment interface. Wild birds may host and spread pathogens, integrating the epidemiology of infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the role of wild birds as a source of ESKAPE bacteria and other antibiotic-resistant enterobacterales. A total of fifty strains within the ESKAPE group were detected in 40/163 cloacal samples of examined birds (24.5%). Additionally, different strains of enterobacterales were detected in 88/163 cloacal samples (53.9%). Isolated strains exhibited antimicrobial resistance, including towards critically important antibiotics (e.g., third, fourth, fifth generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones) for human medicine. Our results confirm that wild birds are potential reservoirs of several pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and that they could be involved in the dissemination of those bacteria across different environments, with resulting public health concerns. © 2022 by the authors.
Although influenza A virus is endemic in wild waterfowl, domestic poultry, swine, humans, bats, cetaceans, dogs, and horses, there is a paucity of data on the potential role of camels in zoonotic transmission of the virus. To estimate the seroprevalence of the influenza A virus in camel populations, four local government areas of Nigeria that share an international border with the Niger Republic were selected. Blood samples from 184 one-hump camels (dromedaries) were collected and tested for influenza IgG antigen by ELISA. Each camel’s demographic variable, such as age, gender, location, production system, and usage, was recorded. The overall seroprevalence rate of influenza virus IgG in this study was 10.33% (95%CI: 6.33–15.66%). In the bivariate model, there was no significant difference in gender, age, site location and production system, except for usage. There was a significantly lower seroprevalence rate among camels used for labour (odds ratio (OR) = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.10–0.97) than those used for meat consumption; however, not after adjusting for other variables in the model. Increase surveillance through early detection, prediction, and risk assessment of pathogens in animal reservoirs and environmental contamination as One Health strategies to reduce potential human spillover is recommended. Molecular epidemiology studies could better elucidate the role of camels in the dynamics of disease transmission pathways. © 2022 by the authors.
[No abstract available]
Lyme disease (LD) risk is emerging rapidly in Canada due to range expansion of its tick vectors, accelerated by climate change. The risk of contracting LD varies geographically due to variability in ecological characteristics that determine the hazard (the densities of infected host-seeking ticks) and vulnerability of the human population determined by their knowledge and adoption of preventive behaviors. Risk maps are commonly used to support public health decision-making on Lyme disease, but the ability of the human public to adopt preventive behaviors is rarely taken into account in their development, which represents a critical gap. The objective of this work was to improve LD risk mapping using an integrated social-behavioral and ecological approach to: (i) compute enhanced integrated risk maps for prioritization of interventions and (ii) develop a spatially-explicit assessment tool to examine the relative contribution of different risk factors. The study was carried out in the Estrie region located in southern Québec. The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, infected with the agent of LD is widespread in Estrie and as a result, regional LD incidence is the highest in the province. LD knowledge and behaviors in the population were measured in a cross-sectional health survey conducted in 2018 reaching 10,790 respondents in Estrie. These data were used to create an index for the social-behavioral component of risk in 2018. Local Empirical Bayes estimator technique were used to better quantify the spatial variance in the levels of adoption of LD preventive activities. For the ecological risk analysis, a tick abundance model was developed by integrating data from ongoing long-term tick surveillance programs from 2007 up to 2018. Social-behavioral and ecological components of the risk measures were combined to create vulnerability index maps and, with the addition of human population densities, prioritization index maps. Map predictions were validated by testing the association of high-risk areas with the current spatial distribution of human cases of LD and reported tick exposure. Our results demonstrated that social-behavioral and ecological components of LD risk have markedly different distributions within Estrie. The occurrence of human LD cases or reported tick exposure in a municipality was positively associated with tick density and the prioritization risk index (p < 0.001). This research is a second step towards a more comprehensive integrated LD risk assessment approach, examining social-behavioral risk factors that interact with ecological risk factors to influence the management of emerging tick-borne diseases, an approach that could be applied more widely to vector-borne and zoonotic diseases. © 2022
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the causative agent of tick-borne fever in sheep, pasture fever in cattle, and granulocytic anaplasmosis in humans. The increasing prevalence and transboundary spread of A. phagocytophilum in livestock, ticks, and wildlife in the UK poses a potential zoonotic risk that has yet to be estimated. Several ecotypes of A. phagocytophilum show variable zoonotic potential. To evaluate the possible risk associated with the transmission of A. phagocytophilum from ruminants to humans, the ecotype was determined by sequencing the groEL gene from 71 positive blood and tissue samples from UK ruminants. Thirty-four groEL sequences were obtained, fourteen of which were identified in multiple samples. Of the 13 nucleotide polymorphisms identified through pairwise comparison, all corresponded to synonymous substitutions. The subsequent phylogenetic estimation of the relationship with other European/world isolates indicated that all the groEL sequences clustered with other ecotype I sequences. The presence of ecotype I closely reflects that observed in ruminants in continental Europe and suggests a lower risk of zoonotic transmission from this reservoir. © 2023 by the authors.
Introduction: Few studies have reported antibiotic purchases from retail drug shops in relation to gender in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Using a One Health approach, we aimed to examine gender dimensions of antibiotic purchases for humans and animals and use of prescriptions in retail drug shops in Bangladesh. Methods: We conducted customer observations in 20 drug shops in one rural and one urban area. Customer gender, antibiotic purchases, and prescription use were recorded during a four-hour observation (2 sessions of 2 hours) in each shop. We included drug shops selling human medicine (n = 15); animal medicine (n = 3), and shops selling both human and animal medicine (n = 2). Results: Of 582 observations, 31.6% of drug shop customers were women. Women comprised almost half of customers (47.1%) in urban drug shops but only 17.2% of customers in rural drug shops (p < 0.001). Antibiotic purchases were more common in urban than rural shops (21.6% versus 12.2% of all transactions, p = 0.003). Only a quarter (26.0%) of customers who purchased antibiotics used a prescription. Prescription use for antibiotics was more likely among women than men (odds ratio (OR) = 4.04, 95% CI 1.55, 10.55) and more likely among urban compared to rural customers (OR = 4.31 95% CI 1.34, 13.84). After adjusting for urban-rural locality, women remained more likely to use a prescription than men (adjusted OR = 3.38, 95% CI 1.26, 9.09) but this was in part due to antibiotics bought by men for animals without prescription. Customers in drug shops selling animal medicine had the lowest use of prescriptions for antibiotics (4.8% of antibiotic purchases). Conclusion: This study found that nearly three-quarters of all antibiotics sold were without prescription, including antibiotics on the list of critically important antimicrobials for human medicine. Men attending drug shops were more likely to purchase antibiotics without a prescription compared to women, while women customers were underrepresented in rural drug shops. Antibiotic stewardship initiatives in the community need to consider gender and urban-rural dimensions of drug shop uptake and prescription use for antibiotics in both human and animal medicine. Such initiatives could strengthen National Action Plans. © 2023, The Author(s).
For the sustainable farming of disease-free and healthy shrimps, antimicrobial use is frequent nowadays in shrimp-cultured system. Considering the serious impact of global antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the present study was focused to investigate the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant vibrios among infected shrimps (Penaeus vannamei) from two brackish water-cultured farms. Diverse species of vibrios viz. V. alginolyticus, V. parahaemolyticus, V. cholerae, V. mimicus, and V. fluvialis along with Aeromonas hydrophila, A. salmonicida and Shewanella algae were recovered from the shrimps on TCBS medium. Shannon–Wiener diversity index and H’ (loge) were 1.506 and 1.69 for the isolates from farm 1 and farm 2, respectively. V. alginolyticus was found to be the most resistant isolate by showing multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index of 0.60 followed by V. mimicus (0.54) and V. parahaemolyticus (0.42). Among the 35 antibiotics of 15 different classes tested, tetracyclines, beta-lactams and cephalosporins were found as the most resistant antibiotic classes. All the isolates possessed a MAR index > 0.2 and the majority exhibited minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) > 256 mcg/ml, thereby indicating the excess exposure of antibiotics in the systems. An enhanced altered resistance phenotype and a significant shift in the MAR index were noticed after plasmid curing. Public health is further concerning because plasmid-borne AMR is evident among the isolates and the studied shrimp samples are significant in the food industry. This baseline information will help the authorities to curb antimicrobial use and pave the way for establishing new alternative strategies by undertaking a multidimensional “One-Health” approach. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
Southeast Asia is considered a global hotspot of emerging zoonotic diseases. There, wildlife is commonly traded under poor sanitary conditions in open markets; these markets have been considered ‘the perfect storm’ for zoonotic disease transmission. We assessed the potential of wildlife trade in spreading viral diseases by quantifying the number of wild animals of four mammalian orders (Rodentia, Chiroptera, Carnivora and Primates) on sale in 14 Indonesian wildlife markets and identifying zoonotic viruses potentially hosted by these animals. We constructed a network analysis to visualize the animals that are traded alongside each other that may carry similar viruses. We recorded 6725 wild animals of at least 15 species on sale. Cities and markets with larger human population and number of stalls, respectively, offered more individuals for sale. Eight out of 15 animal taxa recorded are hosts of 17 zoonotic virus species, nine of which can infect more than one species as a host. The network analysis showed that long-tailed macaque has the greatest potential for spreading viral diseases, since it is simultaneously the most traded species, sold in 13/14 markets, and a potential host for nine viruses. It is traded alongside pig-tailed macaques in three markets, with which it shares six viruses in common (Cowpox, Dengue, Hepatitis E, Herpes B, Simian foamy, and Simian retrovirus type D). Short-nosed fruit bats and large flying foxes are potential hosts of Nipah virus and are also sold in large quantities in 10/14 markets. This study highlights the need for better surveillance and sanitary conditions to avoid the negative health impacts of unregulated wildlife markets. © 2022 by the authors.
Although leptospirosis has been described as a worldwide bacterial zoonosis primarily affecting vulnerable populations, to date no study has focused on concomitant serosurvey of homeless persons and their dogs. The aim of the present study was, to use a One Health approach to serologically assess homeless persons and their dogs in 3 major cities of south Brazil (São Paulo, Curitiba, and Foz do Iguaçu). Environmental information was obtained with an epidemiological questionnaire given to all participants. A total of 200 human and 75 dog samples were tested for anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies to thirty different serovars using the microscopic agglutination test. None of the homeless persons were positive while 5 of the 75 (6.7%) dogs were positive. Among homeless population, 89% (177 of 200) were male, 61% (122 of 200) self-declared Non-white, and 67% (134 of 200) were educated up to the 8th school grade. Lower exposure of homeless persons to Leptospira spp. in the present study when compared to other vulnerable populations (slum and low-income residents) may be result of less direct exposure as they are able to rapidly change locations in response to flooding events. In addition, these results may reflect the effectiveness of a specific healthcare service provided to people living in the streets in the 3 cities. While dogs may be used as environmental sentinels for leptospirosis, the low seropositivity results found in this report may indicate low transmission risk to homeless owners in direct daily contact with their dogs. © 2022
The Brazilian Atlantic Forest helds one of the most diverse and unique avifauna in the world. Many vertebrate species are reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens, and birds are an important group among them due to their mobility which facilitates the dispersion of ticks and the infectious agents they carry. This study brings data on the tick diversity parasitizing birds and the molecular detection of Rickettsia spp. in these arthropods. Birds (n = 773) were captured, identified, and banded at Mata do Paraíso Research, Training, and Environmental Education Center located in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Birds were checked for the presence of ticks, which were individually collected, identified, and molecularly processed through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for the detection of Rickettsia spp. A total of 130 individuals were infested by ticks, and 479 tick specimens were collected, showing a seasonal distribution of the life stages throughout the year. Ticks were identified as Amblyomma longirostre (59/479); Amblyomma calcaratum (20/479); Amblyomma varium (3/479); Amblyomma sculptum (2/479) and Amblyomma spp. larvae (395/479). Seasonal distribution of the life stages of ticks was observed along the year and significant negative correlations were found between temperature and collected ticks and temperature and infested birds. From the evaluated samples of ticks, 25.44% (n = 43/169) scored positive for Rickettsia spp., and sequence analysis indicated high nucleotide identity with Rickettsia rhipicephali, R. massiliae, R. africae and R. honei marmionii. The potential for dispersal of ticks by birds added to the aggressiveness of species of the genus Amblyomma and the zoonotic potential of some species of Rickettsia are quite worrying when we consider that the study area is widely attended by students, researchers, people from the city and neighboring municipalities. © 2022
Salmonella is one of the most common causes of foodborne bacterial disease. Animal-borne foods are considered the primary sources of Salmonella transmission to humans. However, genomic assessment of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence of Salmonella based on One Health approach remains obscure in China. For this reason, we analyzed the whole genome sequencing data of 134 Salmonella isolates recovered from different animal and meat samples in China. The 134 Salmonella were isolated from 2819 samples (4.75 %) representing various sources (pig, chicken, duck, goose, and meat) from five Chinese provinces (Zhejiang, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Hunan, and Qinghai). AMR was evaluated by the broth dilution method using 13 different antimicrobial agents, and results showed that 85.82 % (115/134) of isolates were resistant to three or more antimicrobial classes and were considered multidrug-resistant (MDR). Twelve sequence types (STs) were detected, with a dominance of ST469 (29.85 %, 40/134). The prediction of virulence genes showed the detection of cdtB gene encoding typhoid toxins in one isolate of S. Muenster recovered from chicken, while virulence genes associated with type III secretion systems were detected in all isolates. Furthermore, plasmid-type prediction showed the abundance of IncFII(S) (13/134; 9.7 %) and IncFIB(S) (12/134; 8.95 %) in the studied isolates. Together, this study demonstrated the ability to use whole-genome sequencing (WGS) as a cost-effective method to provide comprehensive knowledge about foodborne Salmonella isolates in One Health surveillance approach. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.
Global changes have influenced our societies in several ways with both positive (e.g., technology, transportation, and food security), and negative impacts (e.g., mental health problems, spread of diseases, and pandemics). Overall, these changes have affected the distribution patterns of parasites and arthropod vectors with the introduction and spreading of alien species in new geographical areas, eventually posing new challenges in public health. In this framework, the Acta Tropica Special Issue “Emerging parasites and vectors in a rapidly changing world: from ecology to management” provides a focus on the biology, ecology and management of emerging parasites and vectors of human and veterinary importance. Herein we review and discuss novel studies dealing with interactions of parasites and vectors with animals in changing environmental settings. In our opinion, a special focus on the implementation of management strategies of parasitic diseases to face anthropogenic environmental changes still represent a priority for public health. In the final section, key research challenges in this rapidly changing scenario are outlined. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.
Human gut microbiota is the microbial community that, through the constant bidirectional communication with its host, plays the critical role of maintaining the state of eubiosis and health balance, contributing to food digestion, detoxification, and proper endocrine, neurological, immunological and potentially reproductive health. To this extent, gut microbiota is called the ‘second brain’ as well as the ‘second liver’. Xenobiotics, including environmental pollutants, are widely spread in the environment and easily accessible in food, cosmetics, personal care products, drugs and medicinal products. Thus, the gut microbiota can be exposed to these xenobiotics, which in turn might alter its composition and metabolism that can trigger dysbiosis, and they seem associated with disorders and diseases in the host. A specific group of xenobiotics, called endocrine-disrupting chemicals, is particularly important due to relevant adverse health effects. A considerable challenge in risk assessment is the combined exposure to xenobiotics, for which the integrated approaches, including the One Health concept, are still under development. Nevertheless, recent research advancements focus on molecular data in the search for elucidating crucial microbiome biomarkers, associated with physiopathology and specific dysfunctions triggered by xenobiotic exposure. In this context, the application of meta-omics and integration of genomics, metagenomics, metabolomics, metatranscriptomics, proteomics and multidisciplinary approaches are particularly important. © 2022 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KgaA on behalf of the European Food Safety Authority.
Free-ranging cats are invasive species threatening biodiversity worldwide. They may also impose an environmental risk to humans and livestock through the transmission of zoonotic diseases. We investigated antibody levels against Toxoplasma gondii in free-ranging cats and black rats (definitive and representative intermediate hosts) by ELISA and determined their relationships with landscape environmental factors on Tokunoshima Island, Japan, the Natural World Heritage site. We found a higher seroprevalence (>70%) in both cats and black rats in landscapes where the cattle barn density was high. This was consistent with higher density of rats revealed in our trapping survey. The spatial scale of landscape factors affecting infection was broader in cats (1 km buffer radius) than in black rats (100 m buffer radius). Both cats and rats showed an increasing trend in optical density (OD) values with increasing body weight and landscape cattle barn density, suggesting that the antibody concentration increases as the chance of exposure to T. gondii in the environment increases. Thus, management actions to stop humans from feeding cats and to control rat populations without using cats are both necessary to reduce the human health risk as well as to conserve endangered species on the island. © 2022 The Authors
Upon exposure to internal or environmental insults, ribosomes stand sentinel. In particular, stress-driven dysregulation of ribosomal homeostasis is a potent trigger of adverse outcomes in mammalians. The present study assessed whether the ribosomal insult affects the aging process via the regulation of sentinel organs such as the gut. Analyses of the human aging dataset demonstrated that elevated features of ribosomal stress are inversely linked to barrier maintenance biomarkers during the aging process. Ribosome-insulted worms displayed reduced lifespan, which was associated with the disruption of gut barriers. Mechanistically, ribosomal stress-activated Sek-1/p38 signaling, a central platform of ribosomal stress responses, counteracted the gut barrier deterioration through the maintenance of the gut barrier, which was consistent with the results in a murine insult model. However, since the gut-protective p38 signaling was attenuated with aging, the ribosomal stress-induced distress was exacerbated in the gut epithelia and mucosa of the aged animals, subsequently leading to increased bacterial exposure. Moreover, the bacterial community-based evaluation predicted concomitant increases in the abundance of mucosal sugar utilizers and mucin metabolic enzymes in response to ribosomal insult in the aged host. All of the present evidence on ribosomal insulting against the gut barrier integrity from worms to mammals provides new insights into organelle-associated translational modulation of biological longevity in a one health perspective. © 2022 The Authors
Objective: Older adults with dementia are at higher risk for sustaining hip fracture and their long-term health outcomes after surgery are usually worse than those without dementia. Widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) may allow hospitals to better monitor long-term health outcomes in patients with dementia after hospitalization. This study aimed to (1) estimate how dementia influences discharge location, mortality, and readmission 180 days and 1 year after hip fracture surgery in older adults, and (2) demonstrate the feasibility of using selection-bias reduced EHR data for research and long-term health outcomes monitoring. Design: Retrospective observational cohort study using EHRs. Setting and Participants: A cohort of 1171 patients over age 65 years who had an initial hip fracture surgery between October 2015 and December 2018 was extracted from EHRs of one health system; 376 of these patients had dementia. Methods: Logistic regression was applied to estimate influences of dementia on discharge disposition and Cox proportional hazards model for mortality. The Fine and Gray regression model was used to analyze readmission, accounting for the competing risk of death. To reduce selection bias in EHRs, inverse probability of treatment weighting using propensity scores was implemented before modeling. Results: Dementia had significant impacts on all outcomes: being discharged to facilities [odds ratio (OR) = 2.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19–3.74], 180-day mortality [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.69, 95% CI 1.20–2.38], 1-year mortality (HR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.33–2.38), 180-day readmission (HR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.39–1.89), and 1 year readmission (HR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.21–1.58). Conclusions and Implications: Dementia was a significant risk factor for worse long-term outcomes. The inverse probability of treatment weighting approach can be used to reduce selection bias in EHR data for research and monitoring long-term health outcomes in the target population. Such monitoring could foster collaborations with post-acute and long-term health care services to improve recovery outcomes in patients with dementia after hip fracture surgery. © 2022 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine
Background Health challenges at the human-animal-environment interface vary and include zoonotic and food-borne diseases as well as antimicrobial resistance. These are serious threats to animal and public health, and account for the majority of emerging and re-emerging conditions or infectious diseases. Reducing zoonotic disease threats requires an understanding of where and why risks exist. To support countries in building multi-sectoral mechanisms to jointly assess the risks at the human–animal–environment interface, a new operational tool is available to complement the existing tripartite guide to addressing zoonotic diseases in countries. The aim of this study is to conduct joint risk assessment (JRA) of rabies and avian influenza in Jordan utilizing the tripartite Joint Risk Assessment Operational Tool (JRA OT). Methods Representatives of sectors that are involved in zoonotic diseases outbreak investigation, control, surveillance and risk assessment, were trained on JRA OT. The operational tool of tripartite guide to addressing zoonotic diseases in countries that was developed by WHO (World Health Organization), FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and WOAH (World Organization for Animal Health) was utilized to conduct risk assessment for rabies and H5N1 avian influenza in Jordan. Results The risk assessment outcome for rabies were as follows: Likelihood is high; impact is moderate with moderate level of uncertainty. The impact of the disease is moderate because the virus transmitted only by animal bite in Jordan. The level of uncertainty is moderate due to existence of some gaps in data available from the ministries regarding the surveillance and collection areas of wild animals with feral dogs. The risk assessment outcome for H5N1 AI indicated a low likelihood estimate with moderate uncertainty level. The impact estimate for H5N1 AI in Jordan is moderate with a low level of uncertainty. Conclusions The tripartite JRA OT provides a helpful and easy to follow guide to bring together expertise and information from all relevant sectors to jointly assess risks from zoonotic diseases and contributes to the understanding and management of shared threats at the human–animal–environment interface. © 2022
The Canary Islands Health Service is aware of the health risks arising from climate change. So health systems must be, with their action, part of the solution, not part of the problem. Currently, 4.4% of global carbon dioxide emissions come from activities related to the health field. To respond to this situation, the Canary Islands Health Service has launched the “Carbon Net Zer0 2030” strategy intending to achieve neutrality in net carbon emissions in the year 2030, applying measures direct and indirect, especially on the supply chain of the public health system. This is a ground-breaking project in Spain and is under continuous review, adding new specific actions to the strategy as the carbon footprint of the different procedures involved in the provision of health services is quantified. © 2022 SESPAS
Background: Antibiotic resistance is a global concern threatening achievements in health care since the discovery of antibiotics. In Kenya, this topic remains understudied in a context of rising demand for livestock products, intensification and the concomitant increase in antibiotic use. Our study investigates drivers and practices of antibiotic use in poultry farming. The study was conducted in Kiambu County, Kenya. Methods: A qualitative research methodology was employed: fourteen key informant interviews, twenty in-depth interviews, and four focus group discussions were undertaken. The interviews were semi-structured. Themes and subthemes from the interviews were generated through inductive analysis. Findings: Of the farmers interviewed, sixty eight percent were female, thirty three percent of the sampled farmers could not read, and the majority (eight five percent) of farmers had reared poultry for at least ten years. Research findings showed that farmers extensively used antibiotics. Antibiotic use was influenced by factors such as high disease burden, access to medicines and economic pressure. Common practices included prophylactic use, use of antibiotics to enhance production, self-prescription use, use of combination antibiotics (A combination antibiotic is one in which two or more antibiotics are added together for additional therapeutic effect.), and antibiotics classified as critically important in human medicine. Key information sources for the farmers were agro- veterinary dispensers, sellers of day-old chicks, and peer-learning. External factors driving the inappropriate use of antibiotics included access to the antibiotics, influence by marketers such as sellers of day-old chicks, and branding. Use of antibiotics was also driven by economic factors among the farmers, sellers of day-old chicks and agro-veterinary dispensers. Conclusions: Our findings indicate widespread use of antibiotics among poultry farmers in our study site. The use of antibiotics is influenced by an interplay of issues at the farmers’ level as well as broader social, economic and structural level factors. A multifaceted One Health approach focusing on regulatory frameworks, knowledge transfer, and research is required to promote stewardship and judicious use of antibiotics. © 2023, The Author(s).
[No abstract available]
Animal hoarding disorder, especially dogs and cats, is a complex issue that occurs in almost all communities, and it is necessary to collect data that contribute to the understanding of leptospirosis within the One Health initiative. In order to determine the seroprevalence of Leptospira sp., 71 dogs and 39 cats from 33 people with animal hoarding profile in the municipality of Patos, state of Paraíba, semi-arid region of Northeastern Brazil were evaluated by using the microscopic serum agglutination test (MAT) as diagnostic test. Thirty-eight animals (34.5%; 95% CI = 25.7 – 43.4%) were seroreactive, with 46.5% in dogs and 12.8% in cats (P < 0.01), with the highest frequency of the Icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup in both species. The high seroprevalence reported suggests the need for public policies for this vulnerable population in order to prevent the transmission of zoonoses. © 2023, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. All rights reserved.
Background: Outbreaks of zoonotic emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) require rapid identification of potential reservoir hosts and mapping disease spread in these hosts to inform risk assessment and adequate control measures. Animals are often understudied when a novel EID is detected in humans and acquisition of animal samples is hampered by practical, ethical, and legal barriers, of which there is currently no clear overview. Therefore, the three aims of this study are (1) to map potentially available collections of animal samples, (2) to assess possibilities and barriers for reuse of these samples and (3) to assess possibilities and barriers for active animal and environmental sampling in the Netherlands. Methods: A literature search was performed to identify ongoing sampling activities and opportunities for reuse or active sampling. Semi-structured interviews with stakeholder organizations were conducted to gain further insight into the three research questions. Results: Various sample collections of surveillance, diagnostic and research activities exist in the Netherlands. Sample size, coverage, storage methods and type of samples collected differs per animal species which influences reuse suitability. Organizations are more likely to share samples, for reuse in outbreak investigations, when they have a pre-existing relationship with the requesting institute. Identified barriers for sharing were, among others, unfamiliarity with legislation and unsuitable data management systems. Active sampling of animals or the environment is possible through several routes. Related barriers are acquiring approval from animal- or property owners, conflicts with anonymization, and time needed to acquire ethical approval. Conclusion: The animal sample collections identified would be very valuable for use in outbreak investigations. Barriers for sharing may be overcome by increasing familiarity with legislation, building (international) sharing networks and agreements before crises occur and developing systems for sample registration and biobanking. Proactive setting up of ethical approvals will allow for rapid animal sample collection to identify EID hosts and potential spillovers. © 2023
Echinococcus multilocularis has been spreading through Central Eastern Europe but has not yet been reported in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Recently, this parasite is confirmed in Croatia suggesting the movement of the parasite’s distribution limit further south. Given that there is no surveillance or monitoring system for echinococcosis in B&H, our study was designed as a pilot study of E. multilocularis. A total of 57 red foxes originating from 24 localities all over the country were collected during the routine rabies monitoring, autopsied and examined for the presence of echinococcosis. Based on intestinal scraping technique and microscopy, E. multilocularis adult worms have been detected in one (1/57, 1.75%) red fox. To verify this finding and to differentiate Echinococcus spp., DNA extracted from adult worms was subjected to species-specific PCR targeting part of the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene. E. multilocularis PCR-positive samples were further confirmed by NGS sequencing of a 203 bp amplified fragment of 12S rRNA, which has been deposited in GenBank (Accession no.: OP047920). This finding represents the first detection of E. multilocularis in B&H, strongly suggesting its presence in the country. The confirmation of the parasite in the same locality where migrants/refugees temporarily stay on their route to Western Europe highlights the need for a One Health approach in addressing all future questions. Moreover, the first detection of E. multilocularis in B&H warrants the need for the implementation of an appropriate state surveillance program. © 2022 The Authors
Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) that causes the chronic infectious disease- tuberculosis (TB), often presents with a complicated epidemiological pattern where the transmission chain may include humans, domestic animals and wildlife, including elephants. TB has been reported globally in both captive and wild elephants. The One Health approach might be the most effective way of understanding the shared MTC infection dynamics in captive and wild animals like Asian elephants. This systematic review accumulates evidence on occurrence, transmission pathways, and preventive measures of TB in elephants from a One Health perspective. Results: The prevalence of TB reported in elephant populations ranges from 0 to 23.33% and high prevalence’s are reported for elephants that are in close proximity to infected humans. The risk of elephant to human infection transmission increased significantly with exposure duration and contact with infected elephants. Some studies described the plausible TB transmission to captive elephants from other animals (wild and domestic), suggesting inter- and intra-species transmission. The results of this systematic review based on 27 relevant published works, suggest three overarching interrelated transmission pathways for M. tuberculosis infections in Asian elephants- i) humans and elephants, ii) other animals (wild or domestic) and elephants and iii) unclear sources of infection. Conclusions: The progress made with new TB diagnostic tools provides multiple methods to choose from. However, lack of harmonization of TB testing in elephants and their human contacts remains a challenge to prevent TB in those animals. Routine TB screening among elephants and caretakers by setting up an occupational health program for early diagnosis of infection through combined efforts of public health, veterinary medicine, and occupational health experts is suggested. This implies the need for a One Health approach to elephant TB control. This review reveals the need for more research on Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex transmission pathways at the human-animal interface. © 2022, The Author(s).
Background:. In response to large strides in the control of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), in the early 2000s the WHO set targets for elimination of both the gambiense (gHAT) and rhodesiense (rHAT) forms as a public health (EPHP) problem by 2020, and elimination of gHAT transmisson (EOT) by 2030. While global EPHP targets have been met, and EOT appears within reach, current control strategies may fail to achieve gHAT EOT in the presence of animal reservoirs, the role of which is currently uncertain. Furthermore, rHAT is not targeted for EOT due to the known importance of animal reservoirs for this form. Methods:. To evaluate the utility of a One Health approach to gHAT and rHAT EOT, we built and parameterized a compartmental stochastic model, using the Institute for Disease Modeling’s Compartmental Modeling Software, to six HAT epidemics: the national rHAT epidemics in Uganda and Malawi, the national gHAT epidemics in Uganda and South Sudan, and two separate gHAT epidemics in Democratic Republic of Congo distinguished by dominant vector species. In rHAT foci the reservoir animal sub-model was stratified on four species groups, while in gHAT foci domestic swine were assumed to be the only competent reservoir. The modeled time horizon was 2005-2045, with calibration performed using HAT surveillance data and Optuna. Interventions included insecticide and trypanocide treatment of domestic animal reservoirs at varying coverage levels. Results:. Validation against HAT surveillance data indicates favorable performance overall, with the possible exception of DRC. EOT was not observed in any modeled scenarios for rHAT, however insecticide treatment consistently performed better than trypanocide treatment in terms of rHAT control. EOT was not observed for gHAT at 0% coverage of domestic reservoirs with trypanocides or insecticides, but was observed by 2030 in all test scenarios; again, insecticides demonstrated superior performance to trypanocides. Conclusions: EOT likely cannot be achieved for rHAT without control of wildlife reservoirs, however insecticide treatment of domestic animals holds promise for improved control. In the presence of domestic animal reservoirs, gHAT EOT may not be achieved under current control strategies. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.
Background: Trypanosomatids are among the most critical parasites for public health due to their impact on human, animal, and plant health. Diseases associated with these pathogens manifest mainly in poor and vulnerable populations, where social, environmental, and biological factors modulate the case incidence and geographical distribution. Methods: We used Sanger and amplicon-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) in samples from different mammals to identify trypanosomatid infections in several departments in Colombia. A total of 174 DNA samples (18 humans, 83 dogs, and 73 wild mammals) were analyzed by conventional PCR using a fragment of the heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) gene and Sanger sequenced the positive samples. Twenty-seven samples were sent for amplicon-based NGS using the same gene fragment. Data obtained were used to perform diversity analyses. Results: One hundred and thirteen samples were positive for PCR by Hsp70 fragment; these corresponded to 22.1% Leishmania spp., 18.6% L. amazonensis, 9.7% L. braziliensis, 14.2% L. infantum, 8% L. panamensis, and 27.4% Trypanosoma cruzi. Comparison of the identified species by the two sequencing technologies used resulted in 97% concordance. Alpha and beta diversity indices were significant, mainly for dogs; there was an interesting index of coinfection events in the analyzed samples: different Leishmania species and the simultaneous presence of T. cruzi and even T. rangeli in one of the samples analyzed. Moreover, a low presence of L. braziliensis was observed in samples from wild mammals. Interestingly, to our knowledge, this is the first report of Leishmania detection in Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris (capybara) in Colombia. Conclusions: The Hsp70 fragment used in this study is an optimal molecular marker for trypanosomatid identification in many hosts and allows the identification of different species in the same sample when amplicon-based sequencing is used. However, the use of this fragment for molecular diagnosis through conventional PCR should be carefully interpreted because of this same capacity to identify several parasites. This point is of pivotal importance in highly endemic countries across South America because of the co-circulation of different genera from the Trypanosomatidae family. The findings show an interesting starting point for One Health approaches in which coevolution and vector-host interactions can be studied. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2022, The Author(s).
Background: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a widespread tick-borne viral infection, present across Africa and Eurasia, which might pose a cryptic public health problem in Uganda. We aimed to understand the magnitude and distribution of CCHF risk in humans, livestock and ticks across Uganda by synthesising epidemiological (cross-sectional) and ecological (modelling) studies. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study at three urban abattoirs receiving cattle from across Uganda. We sampled humans (n = 478), livestock (n = 419) and ticks (n = 1065) and used commercially-available kits to detect human and livestock CCHF virus (CCHFV) antibodies and antigen in tick pools. We developed boosted regression tree models to evaluate the correlates and geographical distribution of expected tick and wildlife hosts, and of human CCHF exposures, drawing on continent-wide data. Findings: The cross-sectional study found CCHFV IgG/IgM seroprevalence in humans of 10·3% (7·8–13·3), with antibody detection positively associated with reported history of tick bite (age-adjusted odds ratio = 2·09 (1·09–3·98)). Cattle had a seroprevalence of 69·7% (65·1–73·4). Only one Hyalomma tick (CCHFV-negative) was found. However, CCHFV antigen was detected in Rhipicephalus (5·9% of 304 pools) and Amblyomma (2·9% of 34 pools) species. Modelling predicted high human CCHF risk across much of Uganda, low environmental suitability for Hyalomma, and high suitability for Rhipicephalus and Amblyomma. Interpretation: Our epidemiological and ecological studies provide complementary evidence that CCHF exposure risk is widespread across Uganda. We challenge the idea that Hyalomma ticks are consistently the principal reservoir and vector for CCHFV, and postulate that Rhipicephalus might be important for CCHFV transmission in Uganda, due to high frequency of infected ticks and predicted environmental suitability. Funding: UCL Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and Pan-African Network on Emerging and Re-Emerging Infections (PANDORA-ID-NET) funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) under the EU Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. © 2022
Leptospirosis is one of the most widespread zoonotic diseases and can infect both humans and animals worldwide. The role of the cat as a susceptible host and potential environmental reservoir of Leptospira is still not well understood, due to the lack of obvious clinical signs associated with Leptospira spp. infection in this species. This study aims to describe the first European detection of Leptospira interrogans serogroup Australis ST 24 in a young outdoor cat with a severe comorbidity (feline panleukopenia virus). In addition, the results of a preliminary study conducted in 2014–2016 are presented (RC IZSVE 16/12), which reports an investigation of Leptospira exposure of outdoor cats in Northeast Italy by means of serological investigation and molecular evaluation of urine. The animals included in the survey are part of samples collected during active and passive surveillance (diagnostic samples). The study reported a seroprevalence of 10.5% among outdoor cats and the serogroups identified were Grippotyphosa, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Bratislava, Canicola and Ballum. Symptomatic cats reported high MAT titres (ranging from 1:800 to 1:1600) towards antigens belonging to the serovars Grippotyphosa (1:800), Bratislava (1:1600), Icterohaemorrhagiae (1:200) and Copenhageni (1:200–1:800). In one subject, urine tested positive for Leptospira PCR. Cats with high antibody titres for Leptospira and/or positivity on molecular test suffered from immunosuppressive comorbidities (feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukaemia virus; feline herpesvirus and lymphoma; hyperthyroidism). The overall prevalence of serum antibodies against Leptospira found in free-ranging cats (10.53%, 95% CI: 4.35–16.70%) and the identification of L. interrogans ST 24 in a young cat with immunosuppressive disease (feline panleukopenia virus) suggest the possibility of natural resistance to clinical leptospirosis in healthy cats. In a One Health perspective, further studies are needed to better define the pathogenesis of leptospirosis in cats and their epidemiological role as environmental sentinels or possible carriers of pathogenic Leptospira. © 2023 by the authors.
The Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali (IZSs) are public health institutes dealing with the aetiology and pathogenesis of infectious diseases of domestic and wild animals. During Coronavirus Disease 2019 epidemic, the Italian Ministry of Health appointed the IZSs to carry out diagnostic tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in human samples. In particular, the IZS of Abruzzo and Molise (IZS-Teramo) was involved in the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 through testing nasopharyngeal swabs by Real Time RT-PCR. Activities and infrastructures were reorganised to the new priorities, in a “One Health” framework, based on interdisciplinary, laboratory promptness, accreditation of the test for the detection of the RNA of SARS-CoV-2 in human samples, and management of confidentiality of sensitive data. The laboratory information system – SILAB – was implemented with a One Health module for managing data of human origin, with tools for the automatic registration of information improving the quality of the data. Moreover, the “National Reference Centre for Whole Genome Sequencing of microbial pathogens – database and bioinformatics analysis” – GENPAT – formally established at the IZS-Teramo, developed bioinformatics workflows and IT dashboard with ad hoc surveillance tools to support the metagenomics-based SARS-CoV-2 surveillance, providing molecular sequencing analysis to quickly intercept the variants circulating in the area. This manuscript describes the One Health system developed by adapting and integrating both SILAB and GENPAT tools for supporting surveillance during COVID-19 epidemic in the Abruzzo region, southern Italy. The developed dashboard permits the health authorities to observe the SARS-CoV-2 spread in the region, and by combining spatio-temporal information with metagenomics provides early evidence for the identification of emerging space-time clusters of variants at the municipality level. The implementation of the One Health module was designed to be easily modelled and adapted for the management of other diseases and future hypothetical events of pandemic nature. © 2022
Agriculture in general, and livestock production in particular, serve as a livelihood source for many people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In many settings, lack of control of infectious diseases hampers livestock productivity, undermining the livelihood of rural populations. This scoping review sought to identify veterinary interventions previously evaluated as well as their relative effectiveness in controlling infectious livestock diseases. To be included, papers had to be written in English, German or French, and had to describe the effectiveness and/or profitability of preventive veterinary intervention(s) against anthrax, blackleg, bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, contagious caprine pleuropneumonia, foot-and-mouth disease, goat pox, lumpy skin disease, pasteurellosis, peste des petits ruminants, and/or sheep pox in any SSA country. Of the 2748 publications initially screened, 84 met our inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Most of the studies (n = 73, 87%) evaluated the effectiveness and/or profitability of vaccination, applied exclusively, applied jointly with, or compared to strategies like deworming, antimicrobial treatment, surveillance, feed supplementation, culling and dipping in reducing morbidity and/or mortality to livestock diseases. The effectiveness and/or profitability of antimicrobial treatment (n = 5), test and slaughter (n = 5), and use of lay animal health workers (n = 1) applied exclusively, were evaluated in the other studies. Vaccination was largely found to be both effective and with positive return on investment. Ineffective vaccination was mainly due to loss of vaccine potency under unfavorable field conditions like adverse weather events, cold chain failure, and mismatch of circulating pathogen strain and the vaccines in use. In summary, vaccination is the most effective and profitable means of controlling infectious livestock diseases in SSA. However, to achieve effective control of these diseases, its implementation must integrate pathogen surveillance, and optimal vaccine delivery tools, to overcome the reported field challenges. © 2022, The Author(s).
Objectives: The degree of One-Healthiness of a system relates to the effectiveness of an institution to operate within the six main dimensions which identify to what extent it complies with One Health concept. This paper evaluates institutional compliance with One Health concept in 14 institutions from eight African countries. Methods: We utilised the adapted Network for the Evaluation of One Health (NEOH) tool. The institutions included six national One Health platforms and eight other institutions utilizing One Health approaches. Semi-quantitative evaluation of One Health platforms’ competencies in six aspects/dimensions concerning One Health operations and infrastructure: Systems Thinking, Planning, Transdisciplinary working, Sharing, Learning and Systemic Organization, was conducted. Results: The evaluation revealed that although all aspects of One Health scored above average, systemic organization and working in One Health were the strongest areas where tremendous gains had been made across the evaluated countries. The aspects of planning, sharing, learning, and thinking should be optimized to achieve gains emanating from One Health approaches in Africa. Cultural and social balance, and integrated health approach were the strongest areas under working and thinking respectively. Thinking was particularly challenged in areas of dimensions coverage and balance, while planning was challenged in the areas of capacity for detection, identification, monitoring of infectious diseases; biosafety and quality management; skills through taught and distance-learning programmes; information and communication technologies to support learning and skills through research apprenticeships. Conclusion: We conclude that although One Health has gained momentum in Africa, there still exists room for improvement. The revealed strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and gaps in One Health implementation provide an opportunity for prioritization and refocusing of efforts and resources to strengthen the identified weak areas. © 2022 The Authors
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a public health risk that needs to be faced from a One Health perspective that includes humans, animals, and environmental health. The food production chain has been identified as a possible route of transmission of AMR bacteria to humans. The most critical phenomenon is related to Critically Important Antimicrobial (CIA) resistance. β-lactams antibiotics (cephalosporin of 3rd, 4th generation, carbapenem, monobactams, and penicillins), quinolones, aminoglycosides, polymyxin, and glycylcyclines were the CIAs chosen in this study. Samples derived from all the stages of the pork food production chain were collected, including pig feces, carcasses, and pork food products (fresh meat, fermented, and seasoned). Escherichia coli were isolated, and AMR and MDR profiles were evaluated. Enterobacterial Repetitive Intragenic Consensus (ERIC-PCR) was used to evaluate phylogenetic similarities. Data showed that 50% of phenotypical AMR observed in the entire pork food chain were related phylogenetically. The contamination of fresh meat, in half of the cases, was not directly related to contamination from feces or carcasses. Despite this, some similarities were found between feces and carcasses. In group analysis, phylogenetic similarities were detected in a 3/36 cluster (8.3%). Nevertheless, further studies are needed to improve consumer risk communication and access to clear and reliable information and health concerns on food labels. © 2023 by the authors.
Pollution-induced neurotoxicity is of high concern. This pilot study investigated the potential relationship between the presence of microplastics (MPs) in the brain of 180 wild fish (Dicentrarchus labrax, Platichthys flesus, Mugil cephalus) from a contaminated estuary and the activity of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme. MPs were found in 9 samples (5% of the total), all of them from D. labrax collected in the summer, which represents 45% of the samples of this species collected in that season (20). Seventeen MPs were recovered from brain samples, with sizes ranging from 8 to 96 μm. Polyacrylamide, polyacrylic acid and one biopolymer (zein) were identified by Micro-Raman spectroscopy. Fish with MPs showed lower (p ≤ 0.05) AChE activity than those where MPs were not found. These findings point to the contribution of MPs to the neurotoxicity induced by long-term exposure to pollution, stressing the need of further studies on the topic to increase ‘One Health’ protection. © 2023
Livestock intensification has facilitated antimicrobial use (AMU) with consequent antimicrobial resistance (AMR) development. We assessed AMU in beef farms, pathways for residues and resistance dissemination to humans, risk status, residues identification, and drivers for antimicrobial residues and resistance emergence in beef cattle production systems. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in randomly selected beef farms of Northern Nigeria, between 2018 and 2019. Traffic Light model and Disc Diffusion Test were used to assess risk status and determined residues, respectively. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models at 95% confidence level. About 92% (n = 608) farmers participated. The majority of farmers managing intensive (78.9%) and semi-intensive (76.6%) farms did not follow antimicrobial dosage instructions. Also, 72.4% and 83.9% of the farmers on intensive and semi-intensive systems, respectively, did not observed withdrawal periods after AMU. Furthermore, 71.5% farmers in intensive and 53.2% in semi-intensive farms used antimicrobials as growth promoters. Antimicrobials frequently used include tetracyclines, sulfonamides and penicillin. Antimicrobial residues and resistance dissemination pathways from beef herds were: consumption of contaminated meat with residues (p = 0.007); contacts with contaminated cattle and fomites (p < 0.001); and contaminated manure and aerosols in farm environment (p = 0.003). Significant drivers of residues and resistance emergence were antimicrobial misuse and overuse (OR = 2.72; 95% CI:1.93–3.83), non-enforcement of laws (OR = 2.98; 95% CI:2.11–4.21), poor education and expertise (OR = 1.52; 95% CI:1.09–2.12), and husbandry management system (OR = 10.24; 95% CI:6.75–15.54). The majority of intensive (63.6%) and semi-intensive (57.63%) farm systems belonged to Class 3 (Red risk) status. Antimicrobial residues were detected in 48.4% intensively and 34.4% semi-intensively managed farms. The study revealed poor practices of AMU in beef cattle production. Many factors were found to influenced antimicrobial residues and resistance occurrence and dissemination. A ‘One Health’ approach mitigation with adequate sanitation, hygiene, and good biosecurity measures will assure food safety, public and environmental health. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.
Yaws is a chronic infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum susp. pertenue (TPE) that was thought to be an exclusive human pathogen but was recently found and confirmed in nonhuman primates. In this paper, we develop the first compartmental ODE model for TPE infection with treatment of wild olive baboons. We solve for disease-free and endemic equilibria and give conditions on local and global stability of the disease-free equilibrium. We calibrate the model based on the data from Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania. We use the model to help the park managers devise an effective strategy for treatment. We show that an increasing treatment rate yields a decrease in disease prevalence. This indicates that TPE can be eliminated through intense management in closed population. Specifically, we show that if the whole population is treated at least once every 5-6 years, a disease-free equilibrium can be reached. Furthermore, we demonstrate that to see a substantial decrease of TPE infection to near-elimination levels within 15 years, the whole population needs to be treated every 2-3 years. © 2022 The Author(s)
Background: The composition of the microbial flora associated with ixodid ticks has been studied in several species, revealing the importance of geographical origin, developmental stage(s) and feeding status of the tick, as well as substantial differences between tissues and organs. Studying the microbiome in the correct context and scale is therefore necessary for understanding the interactions between tick-borne pathogens and other microorganisms as well as other aspects of tick biology. Methods: In the present study the microbial flora of whole Ixodes ricinus, I. persulcatus and I. trianguliceps ticks were analyzed with 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Additionally, tick organs (midguts, Malpighian tubules, ovaries, salivary glands) from flat and engorged I. ricinus female ticks were examined with the same methodology. Results: The most abundant bacteria belonged to the group of Proteobacteria (Cand. Midichloria mitochondrii and Cand. Lariskella). 16S amplicon sequencing of dissected tick organs provided more information on the diversity of I. ricinus-associated microbial flora, especially when organs were collected from engorged ticks. Bacterial genera significantly associated with tick feeding status as well as genera associated with the presence of tick-borne pathogens were identified. Conclusions: These results contribute to the knowledge of microbial flora associated with ixodid ticks in their northernmost distribution limit in Europe and opens new perspectives for other investigations on the function of these bacteria, including those using other approaches like in vitro cultivation and in vitro models. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. © 2023, The Author(s).
Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most prominent nosocomial, community and farm acquired bacterial infections among animals and human populations. The main purpose of our study was to identify and characterize antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among Staphylococcus aureus isolated from livestock, poultry and humans and to further identify the associated genes. Staphylococcus aureus isolates from human, bovine, swine and poultry were collected from different laboratories across the United States collected between 2003 and 2016. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing for 13 antimicrobials was performed and conventional PCR was used to detect the presence of the nuc gene, mec gene, and to detect int1 gene. Associations between the presence of mec and intl and specific AMR profiles were determined. Antimicrobial resistance was detected in all four host categories, with the highest overall rates found in swine, 100% resistant to tetracycline, 88% to penicillin and 64% clindamycin. The next highest was found among humans with 81.6% of isolates resistant to penicillin followed by 44% to clindamycin and 43% to erythromycin. Among beef cattle isolates, 63.2% were resistant to penicillin, 15.8% resistant to clindamycin and 15.8% to erythromycin. No isolates from any of the hosts were resistant to linezolid. Among poultry isolates, the highest AMR was found to clindamycin, followed by erythromycin and penicillin. Among dairy cattle, highest resistance was found to penicillin, followed by chloramphenicol and gentamicin. Dairy cattle were the only host category with isolates that are resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Of the 220 isolates detected by latex agglutination, 217 were confirmed to be S. aureus via PCR of the nuc gene, 21.4% were positive for the mecA gene. Swine had the highest prevalence of the mecA gene, followed by humans, poultry and beef cattle. This study has demonstrated a high occurrence of penicillin resistance among all S. aureus isolates. There were differences observed between host species with tetracycline resistance being the highest among swine isolates and clindamycin being highest in poultry isolates. No detection of oxacillin resistance was found in isolates from dairy cattle but was found in isolates from all of the other host species, 94% of which contained the mecA gene. © 2022
The genus Anaplasma (Anaplasmataceae, Rickettsiales) includes tick-transmitted bacterial species of importance to both veterinary and human medicine. Apart from the traditionally recognized six Anaplasma species (A. phagocytophilum, A. platys, A. bovis, A. ovis, A. centrale, A. marginale), novel strains and candidate species, also of relevance to veterinary and human medicine, are emerging worldwide. Although species related to the zoonotic A. platys and A. phagocytophilum have been reported in several African and European Mediterranean countries, data on the presence of these species in sub-Saharan countries are still lacking. This manuscript reports the investigation of Anaplasma strains related to zoonotic species in ruminants in Senegal by combining different molecular tests and phylogenetic approaches. The results demonstrated a recent introduction of Candidatus (Ca) Anaplasma turritanum, a species related to the pathogenic A. platys, possibly originating by founder effect. Further, novel undetected strains related to Candidatus (Ca) Anaplasma cinensis were detected in cattle. Based on groEL and gltA molecular comparisons, we propose including these latter strains into the Candidatus (Ca) Anaplasma africanum species. Finally, we also report the emergence of Candidatus (Ca) A. boleense in Senegal. Collectively, results confirm that Anaplasma species diversity is greater than expected and should be further investigated, and that Anaplasma routine diagnostic procedures and epidemiological surveillance should take into account specificity issues raised by the presence of these novel strains, suggesting the use of a One Health approach for the management of Anaplasmataceae in sub-Saharan Africa. © 2022 by the authors.
Texas is a geographically large state with large human and livestock populations, many farms, a long coastal region, and extreme fluctuations in weather. During the last 15 years, the state of Texas has frequently suffered disasters or catastrophes causing extensive morbidity and economic loss. These disasters often have complicated consequences requiring multi-faceted responses. Recently, an interdisciplinary network of professionals from multiple academic institutions has emerged to collaborate in protecting Texas and the USA using a One Health approach. These experts are training the next generation of scientists in biopreparedness; increasing understanding of pathogens that cause repetitive harm; developing new therapeutics and vaccines against them; and developing novel surveillance approaches so that emerging pathogens will be detected early and thwarted before they can cause disastrous human and economic losses. These academic One Health partnerships strengthen our ability to protect human and animal health against future catastrophes that may impact the diverse ecoregions of Texas and the world. © 2022 The Authors
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and the subsequent COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant global impact. However, COVID-19 is just one of several high-impact infectious diseases that emerged from wildlife and are linked to the human relationship with nature. The rate of emergence of new zoonoses (diseases of animal origin) is increasing, driven by human-induced environmental changes that threaten biodiversity on a global scale. This increase is directly linked to environmental drivers including biodiversity loss, climate change and unsustainable resource extraction. Australia is a biodiversity hotspot and is subject to sustained and significant environmental change, increasing the risk of it being a location for pandemic origin. Moreover, the global integration of markets means that consumption trends in Australia contributes to the risk of disease spill-over in our regional neighbours in Asia-Pacific, and beyond. Despite the clear causal link between anthropogenic pressures on the environment and increasing pandemic risks, Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, like most of the world, has centred largely on public health strategies, with a clear focus on reactive management. Yet, the span of expertise and evidence relevant to the governance of pandemic risk management is much wider than public health and epidemiology. It involves animal/wildlife health, biosecurity, conservation sciences, social sciences, behavioural psychology, law, policy and economic analyses to name just a few. The authors are a team of multidisciplinary practitioners and researchers who have worked together to analyse, synthesise, and harmonise the links between pandemic risk management approaches and issues in different disciplines to provide a holistic overview of current practice, and conclude the need for reform in Australia. We discuss the adoption of a comprehensive and interdisciplinary ‘One Health’ approach to pandemic risk management in Australia. A key goal of the One Health approach is to be proactive in countering threats of emerging infectious diseases and zoonoses through a recognition of the interdependence between human, animal, and environmental health. Developing ways to implement a One Health approach to pandemic prevention would not only reduce the risk of future pandemics emerging in or entering Australia, but also provide a model for prevention strategies around the world. © 2022, The Author(s).
WHO priority pathogens have disseminated beyond hospital settings and are now being detected in urban and wild animals worldwide. In this regard, synanthropic animals such as urban pigeons (Columba livia) and rodents (Rattus rattus, Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus) are of interest to public health due to their role as reservoirs of pathogens that can cause severe diseases. These animals usually live in highly contaminated environments and have frequent interactions with humans, domestic animals, and food chain, becoming sentinels of anthropogenic activities. In this study, we report genomic data of Escherichia coli strains selected for ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin resistance, isolated from pigeons and black rats. Genomic analysis revealed the occurrence of international clones belonging to ST10, ST155, ST224 and ST457, carrying a broad resistome to beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines and/or phenicols. SNP-based phylogenomic investigation confirmed clonal relatedness with high-risk lineages circulating at the human-animal-environmental interface globally. Our results confirm the dissemination of WHO priority CTX-M-positive E. coli in urban rodents and pigeons in Brazil, highlighting potential of these animals as infection sources and hotspot for dissemination of clinically relevant pathogens and their resistance genes, which is a critical issue within a One Health perspective. © 2022 The Authors
Karst aquifers are an important water resource worldwide particularly exposed to anthropogenic pollution, including antibiotic-resistance. The release of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens in the environment is a major public health challenge worldwide. In this One Health study, we aimed to determine the effect of karst on antibiotic-resistant bacteria. For this purpose, we determined the concentrations of extended-spectrum β-lactamases-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-Ec) for 92 weeks in a rural karst hydrosystem providing drinking water. ESBL-Ec isolates (n = 130) were sequenced by whole genome sequencing. We analysed the isolates at different levels of granularity, i.e., phylogroup, sequence type, presence of antibiotic-resistance genes, mutations conferring antibiotic-resistance, and virulence genes. The ESBL-Ec concentrations were spatially and temporally heterogeneous in the studied karst hydrosystem. ESBL-Ec isolates survived in the karst and their concentrations were mostly explained by the hydrodynamic of the hydrosystem. We demonstrate that the studied karst has no filtration effect on ESBL-Ec, either quantitatively (i.e., in the ESBL-Ec concentrations) or qualitatively (i.e., in the genetic characteristics of ESBL-Ec isolates). © 2023
[No abstract available]
The health of the farming community in Northern Ireland (NI) requires further research as previous mortality studies have reported contradictory results regarding farmers’ health outcomes compared against other occupations and the general population. This study collated the NINIS area-level farm census with the population census information across 582 non-overlapping wards of NI to compile three mortality datasets (2001, 2011, and pooled dataset) (NISRA 2019). These datasets allow future researchers to investigate the influence of demographic, farming, and economic predictors on all-cause mortality at the ward level. The 2001 and 2011 mortality datasets were compiled for cross-sectional analyses and subsequently pooled for longitudinal analyses. Findings from these datasets will provide evidence of the influence of Farming Intensity scores influence on death risk within the wards for future researchers to utilise. This data report will aid in the understanding of socio-ecological variables’ additive contribution to the risk of death at the ward level within NI. This data report is of interest to the One Health research community as it standardises the environment−human−animal data to pave the way towards a new One Health research paradigm. For example, future researchers can use this nationally representative data to investigate whether agriculturally saturated wards have a higher mortality risk than non-agriculturally based wards of NI. Copyright © 2023 Trearty, Bunting and Mallett.
Leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins are advocated for being assessed in vaccine development. Leptospiral LRR proteins were identified recently in silico from the genome of Leptospira borgpetersenii serogroup Sejroe, the seroprevalence of leptospiral infections of cattle in Thailand. Two LRR recombinant proteins, rKU_Sej_LRR_2012M (2012) and rhKU_Sej_LRR_2271 (2271), containing predicted immunogenic epitopes, were investigated for their cross-protective efficacies in an acute leptospirosis model with heterologous Leptospira serovar Pomona, though, strains from serogroup Sejroe are host-adapted to bovine, leading to chronic disease. Since serovar Pomona is frequently reported as seropositive in cattle, buffaloes, pigs, and dogs in Thailand and causes acute and severe leptospirosis in cattle by incidental infection, the serogroup Sejroe LRR proteins were evaluated for their cross-protective immunity. The protective efficacies were 37.5%, 50.0%, and 75.0% based on the survival rate for the control, 2012, and 2271 groups, respectively. Sera from 2012-immunized hamsters showed weak bactericidal action compared to sera from 2271-immunized hamsters (p < 0.05). Therefore, bacterial tissue clearances, inflammatory responses, and humoral and cell-mediated immune (HMI and CMI) responses were evaluated only in 2271-immunized hamsters challenged with virulent L. interrogans serovar Pomona. The 2271 protein induced prompt humoral immune responses (p < 0.05) and leptospiral tissue clearance, reducing tissue inflammation in immunized hamsters. In addition, protein 2271 and its immunogenic peptides stimulated splenocyte lymphoproliferation and stimulated both HMI and CMI responses by activating Th1 and Th2 cytokine gene expression in vaccinated hamsters. Our data suggest that the immunogenic potential renders rhKU_Sej_LRR_2271 protein a promising candidate for the development of a novel cross-protective vaccine against animal leptospirosis. © 2022 by the authors.
Wildlife and wildlife interfaces with people and livestock are essential surveillance targets to monitor emergent or endemic pathogens or new threats affecting wildlife, livestock, and human health. However, limitations of previous investments in scope and duration have resulted in a neglect of wildlife health surveillance (WHS) systems at national and global scales, particularly in lower and middle income countries (LMICs). Building on decades of wildlife health activities in LMICs, we demonstrate the implementation of a locally-driven multi-pronged One Health approach to establishing WHS in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam under the WildHealthNet initiative. WildHealthNet utilizes existing local capacity in the animal, public health, and environmental sectors for event based or targeted surveillance and disease detection. To scale up surveillance systems to the national level, WildHealthNet relies on iterative field implementation and policy development, capacity bridging, improving data collection and management systems, and implementing context specific responses to wildlife health intelligence. National WHS systems piloted in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam engaged protected area rangers, wildlife rescue centers, community members, and livestock and human health sector staff and laboratories. Surveillance activities detected outbreaks of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds, African swine fever in wild boar (Sus scrofa), Lumpy skin disease in banteng (Bos javanicus), and other endemic zoonotic pathogens identified as surveillance priorities by local stakeholders. In Cambodia and Lao PDR, national plans for wildlife disease surveillance are being signed into legislation. Cross-sectoral and trans-disciplinary approaches are needed to implement effective WHS systems. Long-term commitment, and paralleled implementation and policy development are key to sustainable WHS networks. WildHealthNet offers a roadmap to aid in the development of locally-relevant and locally-led WHS systems that support the global objectives of the World Organization for Animal Health’s Wildlife Health Framework and other international agendas. © 2022 The Authors
Background and Aim: Rabies is one of the prioritized zoonoses in Indonesia and West Kalimantan is one of the rabies-endemic provinces in the country. This study aimed to evaluate a locally-initiated One Health approach to implement rabies prevention and control programs in Pontianak City and Sanggau District (through a bottom-up approach), and the central government initiated a program in Ketapang District (through a top-down approach). Materials and Methods: Data were collected using three focused group discussions involving public health and animal health/veterinary sectors from each district or city. This study collected data from the rabies control program in West Kalimantan from 2014 to 2020. Results: The evaluation results of the rabies prevention and control program in Pontianak City and Sanggau District that used the local initiative approach were considered effective in reducing the number of rabies cases in these areas, and they overcame the challenges, for example, limited resources, in this area. Pontianak City and Sanggau District initiatives’ approach was a bottom-up policy. Thus, this program had better sustainability than the One Health approach in the Ketapang District, which used a top-down implementation. The approach in Ketapang District was also considered adequate to reduce the number of rabies cases in the area. However, the reshuffle of animal health officers and health workers in 2020, which was not followed by training on One Health for the new officers, became a challenge in implementing One Health in Ketapang District. Conclusion: National and local initiatives’ One Health approach implemented by Ketapang District, Sanggau District, and Pontianak City involved multiple sectors and was considered effective in preventing and controlling rabies in these areas. However, the sustainability of this program in the Ketapang District requires commitment and support from the local government. © 2022 Veterinary World. All rights reserved.
Objective: The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs and cats in different countries worldwide raises concerns that pets are at a higher risk for spreading or transmitting of SARS-CoV-2 to humans and other pets and increased the research works about the zoonotic aspects and natural routes of infection in companion animals. The current study aimed to detect the SARS-CoV-2 in household dogs and cats living with COVID-19 positive owners. Methods: Deep oropharyngeal and rectal swabs were collected from 30 household pets (20 cats and 10 dogs) living with COVID-19 positive owners from April 2021 to 2022 in Kerman, Iran. All dogs’ and cats’ samples were tested by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for detection of SARS-CoV-2. Results: Two household cats out of 20 examined (10%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2, whereas none of the examined dogs were positive for SARS-CoV-2. The two cats positive for SARS-CoV-2 were symptomatic and suffered from severe anorexia with maximum contact with their infected owners. Conclusion: This study reported the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in household cats in close contact with COVID-19 positive owners during the circulation of new SARS-CoV-2 variants (Delta and Omicron) in Iran and suggested that the transmission may have occurred from owners to their cats. Therefore, infected owners should eagerly limit close contact with their pets during COVID-19 illness. © 2022 The Authors. Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Background: The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis is a major global threat and one of its biggest drivers is the overuse of antibiotics in humans. Dentists are responsible for 5–10% antibiotic prescriptions worldwide and recent data suggest that knowledge and prescribing practices need improvement. Methods: A cross-sectional web-survey was sent to dental students from six universities in Norway, Canada, and Brazil. Topics addressed covered awareness, confidence to prescribe antibiotics, and education needs. Data were presented descriptively and statistical testing was employed to compare group means when applicable. Results: In total, 562 responses were collected across the three countries with a response rate of 28.6%. ‘Antibiotic resistance’ was among the highest priorities (scale 1–10) with an average of 8.86 (SEM ± 0.05), together with ‘Gender inequality’ (8.68 ± 0.07) and ‘Climate change’ (8.68 ± 0.07). Only 28.8% thought that Dentistry was engaged in national/international campaigns promoting awareness on the topic and 8.9% stated to have heard about the ‘One Health’ concept. Final year dental students showed an average confidence to prescribe antibiotics of 7.59 (± 0.14). Most students demonstrated interest in receiving additional education on all topics listed, with the three most pressing being ‘antibiotic prescription for treatment of infections’ (82.9%), ‘drug interactions’ (80.9%), and ‘spread of antibiotic resistance’ (79.6%). A trend was observed between higher awareness regarding the topic and higher confidence to prescribe. Conclusions: There is a need to revisit dental education on antibiotic resistance with a global perspective and to create more stewardship initiatives that promote awareness on the topic. © 2022, The Author(s).
Introduction: The changing epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile reflects a well-established and intricate community transmission network. With rising numbers of reported community-acquired infections, recent studies tried to identify the role played by non-human reservoirs in the pathogen’s transmission chain. This study aimed at describing the C. difficile strains circulating in canine and feline populations, and to evaluate their genetic overlap with human strains to assess the possibility of interspecies transmission. Methods: Fecal samples from dogs (n = 335) and cats (n = 140) were collected from two populations (group A and group B) in Portugal. C. difficile isolates were characterized for toxigenic profile and PCR-ribotyping. The presence of genetic determinants of antimicrobial resistance was assessed in all phenotypically resistant isolates. To evaluate the genetic overlap between companion animals and human isolates from Portugal, RT106 (n = 42) and RT014/020 (n = 41) strains from both sources were subjected to whole genome sequencing and integrated with previously sequenced RT106 (n = 43) and RT014/020 (n = 142) genomes from different countries. The genetic overlap was assessed based on core-single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) using a threshold of 2 SNP. Results: The overall positivity rate for C. difficile was 26% (76/292) in group A and 18.6% (34/183) in group B. Toxigenic strains accounted for 50% (38/76) and 52.9% (18/34) of animal carriage rates, respectively. The most prevalent ribotypes (RT) were the toxigenic RT106 and RT014/020, and the non-toxigenic RT010 and RT009. Antimicrobial resistance was found for clindamycin (27.9%), metronidazole (17.1%) and moxifloxacin (12.4%), associated with the presence of the ermB gene, the pCD-METRO plasmid and point mutations in the gyrA gene, respectively. Both RT106 and RT014/020 genetic analysis revealed several clusters integrating isolates from animal and human sources, supporting the possibility of clonal interspecies transmission or a shared environmental contamination source. Discussion: This study shows that companion animals may constitute a source of infection of toxigenic and antimicrobial resistant human associated C. difficile isolates. Additionally, it contributes with important data on the genetic proximity between C. difficile isolates from both sources, adding new information to guide future work on the role of animal reservoirs in the establishment of community associated transmission networks and alerting for potential public health risk. Copyright © 2023 Alves, Castro, Pinto, Nunes, Pomba, Oliveira, Silveira, Gomes and Oleastro.
Blastocystis is a usual intestinal protist that always found in humans and various animals. Currently, the prevalence of Blastocystis in the migratory whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) is unknown. In our research, we aimed to determine the occurrence, prevalence, subtype distribution and dynamic transmission mechanisms of Blastocystis in the migratory whooper swan in China. We also assessed the zoonotic potential of Blastocystis isolates, as well as possible routes of transmission and impact of this organism on One Health perspective. Fecal samples (n = 770) were collected from whooper swans inhabiting the Sanmenxia Swan Lake National Urban Wetland Park, China. The overall prevalence of Blastocystis was 11.6% (89/770). We identified 9 subtypes of Blastocystis sp., including 5 zoonotic subtypes [ST1 (Cakir et al., 2019 (8)), ST4 (Selma and Karanis, 2011 (4)), ST5 (Stensvold et al., 2009 (1)), ST6 (Fare et al., 2019 (5)) and ST7(58)] and 3 host-specific subtypes [ST10 (Zhao et al., 2018 (7)), ST14 (Tan et al., 2010 (2)), ST23 (Wang et al., 2018 (3)), and ST25 (Stensvold et al., 2009 (1))]. Subtypes ST4, ST5, ST6, ST10, ST14, ST23, and ST25 were first identified in the whooper swan. Among these subtypes, ST23 and ST25 were identified in birds for the first time, indicating that these subtypes are expanding their host range. So far, this is the first research reporting on the prevalence and subtypes distribution of Blastocystis in the migratory whooper swan in China. The findings obtained in this study will provide new insights into the genetic diversity and transmission routes of Blastocystis, and the possible public health concerns posed by this organism. © 2023 The Authors
Background: Schistosomiasis, an ancient and neglected tropical disease, which poses a huge threat to over 200 million people globally. It is necessary to have a general summary of schistosomiasis research after the new roadmap 2021–2030 issued by WHO. This study analyzes the current status of schistosomiasis research from the perspective of the One Health concept by analyzing important research literature published from 2011 to 2020, while further highlighting research priorities, difficulties, and research directions in order to propose suggestions for tropical disease studies research. Methods: Published literature related to schistosomiasis was searched from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. Focusing on a visual analysis of the main research literature in the field of schistosomiasis, CiteSpace software was used to conduct co-occurrence analysis with keywords, countries, institutions, and authors. Moreover, clustering and burst analyses of keywords and co-citation analysis of authors, publications, and journals were performed. Results: A total of 6638 schistosomiasis-related articles were published from 2011 to 2020, all of which can be sourced from the WoSCC database. The publication of schistosomiasis research has remained stable over the past 10 years, and contains studies in the area of human epidemiology, animal surveillance and the environment. The top five high-frequency keywords included Schistosoma mansoni, schistosomiasis, infection, praziquantel, and Schistosoma japonicum. The keywords formed nine clusters, including praziquantel, epidemiology, Schistosoma japonicum, helminths, protein, diagnosis, schistosomiasis, response, and haematobium. In recent years, most research studies focused on the mechanism of liver fibrosis, eliminating schistosomiasis, controlling risk factors, and the relationship between schistosomiasis infection and host immunity. The most productive countries include the United States, China, and Brazil, and the most productive institutions are the University of Basel, the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, and the University of São Paulo. Highly productive authors include Jürg Utzinger and Donald P. McManus. At the time of writing, the author with the highest co-citation frequency (993 times) was Peter Hotez, and the journal with the highest co-citation frequency (3,720 times) was PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Human schistosomiasis, published by Colley et al. (2014), was the most frequently co-cited publication (494 times). Conclusions: This study provides a preliminary description of the current status of schistosomiasis research and an initial exploration of future research directions. The One Health concept was applied in the field of schistosomiasis control, as confirmed by this bibliometric analysis. Our study provides guidance for the development of research on schistosomiasis and other neglected tropical diseases. © 2022
Human infections in Egypt with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) likely due to airborne transmission of HPAI virus (HPAIV) during home slaughter of poultry predominately affect women and children, who are the primary caregivers of household poultry. This study developed a safe contained poultry slaughter procedure to reduce airborne HPAIV and zoonotic infections and simultaneously created an educational outreach tool for teaching the modified procedure. The tool designed for limited literacy audiences used two illustrated posters and handouts for teaching the safe contained poultry slaughter procedure. The posters were developed with advice of animal health professionals and then refined by target audience women’s focus groups. These women’s focus groups proved to be the critical step for assuring the understanding, acceptance, effectiveness and accuracy of the outreach tool. The safe contained poultry slaughter procedure was designed to be low or no cost, sustainable by using a universal implement found in village households and designed as a minor variation of standard poultry halal slaughter. It was crafted to be culturally appropriate and religiously acceptable. © 2022 The Authors. Zoonoses and Public Health published by Wiley-VCH GmbH. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
Intensification of aquaculture practices is often associated with disease outbreaks. These outbreaks can heavily affect the production of several fish species such as European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) that is of high economic relevance in Mediterranean countries. Nutritional approaches are promising solutions to alleviate the burden caused by diseases. In this context, algae-derived bioactive compounds, which can stimulate fish’s immune system, should be considered to elevate the health status of farmed fish. Here we thoroughly evaluated the immunomodulatory activity of a commercially produced micro- (Nannochloropsis oceanica and Chlorella vulgaris) and macroalgae (Gracilaria gracilis and Ulva rigida) blend, both at the systemic and mucosal levels, focusing on the protective potential against Tenacibaculum maritimum, a pathogen heavily affecting farmed seabass. A commercial-based diet rich in plant proteins (CTRL) was compared against 3 experimental diets (blend 2, 4 and 6) with increasing levels of the algae blend (2, 4 and 6% inclusion, respectively). After a 12-weeks feeding trial, European seabass juveniles were subjected to a bath challenge with T. maritimum and relocated to two new systems: one system to collect tissues 48 h post-infection, and a second system to register mortalities over 8 days. The results indicate that the algae blend is able to improve fish growth performance and evoke appropriate mucosal immune response upon infection with T. maritimum. The blend promoted a more exacerbated immune response, in a dose-dependent manner, by favoring the migration of monocytes and lymphocytes to mucosal tissues, which are the first sites to be affected by the pathogen. Such cellular responses were accompanied by an upregulation of genes associated with cell migration and proliferation (mmp9 and pcna), and pro-inflammatory responses (il-1β and il-8) in skin and gut tissues. At the systemic level, all blend diets elevated the plasma bactericidal activity and increased the expression of the antimicrobial peptide hepcidin in the head-kidney. The 4% incorporation level, but not the other levels, also led to a higher number of circulating peripheral neutrophils and acidic goblet cells in the intestine. Altogether, and although all blend diets improved fish growth and had some immunomodulatory effects, the 4% inclusion level seems the most suitable to prevent the adhesion and colonization of the pathogen on mucosal tissues, thereby inhibiting the progression of the disease and reducing mortality upon a challenge with T. maritimum. The present results highlight the importance of the mucosal immune response during bacterial infection and the potential of algae to modulate the mucosal immunity. © 2023 The Authors
Background: There are no studies of potential zoonotic diseases in Mapuche communities’ horses. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in horses of the Mapuche communities. Study design: This was a cross-sectional study. Methods: Faecal samples from 100 randomly selected horses (n = 100) were taken from rural Mapuche communities from four municipalities from the Araucanía Region. These samples were processed with the modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique and grouped by sex, age and municipality. Results: The general prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. was 67.0% (n = 67). The prevalence was 51.0% (n = 51) in males and 49.0% (n = 49) in females, and there is no gender association to the presentation of Cryptosporidium spp. The prevalence by municipality was 60.0%, 80.0%, 64.0% and 64.0% in Curarrehue, Lonquimay, Padre las Casas and Teodoro Schmidt, respectively. The above shows no significant association between the sector and the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. The prevalence by age was 95.4% of horses tested positive for Cryptosporidium between birth and 6 years of age. About 27.3% of horses were tested positive in the age group between 7 and 10 years. There was no presence of Cryptosporidium spp. in the age group older than 11 years, showing a significant relationship between the age of the animal and the presence of Cryptosporidium (P ˂ 0.05). Main limitations: The sample analysis did not specifically identify the type of Cryptosporidium, and it was not possible to evaluate the zoonotic risk in the Mapuche communities. Conclusions: Cryptosporidium spp. is present in working horses in Mapuche communities, with a 67.7% general prevalence, and there is a significant association between this parasite and the age of the horses, being higher in the age group between 0 and 6 years, with a prevalence of 95.4%. There may be a potential zoonotic risk in the Mapuche communities. © 2022 EVJ Ltd.
[No abstract available]
Poultry red mites (Dermanyssus gallinae) are primarily ectoparasites of laying hens but also parasitize synanthropic birds in urban contexts. This mite can occasionally attack mammals, including humans, and cause mild to severe dermatitis. Attacks by zoonotic Mesostigmata mites are currently an increasing but still neglected problem of urban life. The authors present two cases of dermanyssosis involving two health workers at a hospital, linked to air conditioning outdoor units colonized by pigeons. Videos that describe the environmental contamination by D. gallinae and show where the infestation originated are presented. In addition, the authors update the literature of all urban cases, which, to date, reports over 240 clinical cases, mostly in private homes but also in public buildings. Dermatitis due to these mites is often unrecognized and, therefore, misdiagnosed. This report describes how the two cases herein reported were rapidly resolved thanks to the close cooperation between veterinary parasitologists and allergologists. It is crucial to raise awareness of the problem among general practitioners and specialists. In addition, the authors suggest a reconsideration of urban architectural choices that increase the public health risk posed by dermanyssosis and other diseases related to synanthropic birds. © 2022 by the authors.
The presence of Staphylococcus spp. resistant to methicillin in the nasal cavity of swine has been previously reported. Considering the possible occurrence of bacterial resistance and presence of resistance genes in intensive swine breeding and the known transmissibility and dispersion potential of such genes, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of resistance to different antibiotics and the presence of the mecA resistance gene in Staphylococcus spp. from piglets recently housed in a nursery. For this, 60 nasal swabs were collected from piglets at the time of their housing in the nursery, and then Staphylococcus spp. were isolated and identified in coagulase-positive (CoPS) and coagulase-negative (CoNS) isolates. These isolates were subjected to the disk-diffusion test to evaluate the bacterial resistance profile and then subjected to molecular identification of Staphylococcus aureus and analyses of the mecA gene through polymerase chain reaction. Of the 60 samples collected, 60 Staphylococcus spp. were isolated, of which 38 (63.33%) were classified as CoNS and 22 (36.67%) as CoPS. Of these, ten (45.45%) were identified as Staphylococcus aureus. The resistance profile of these isolates showed high resistance to different antibiotics, with 100% of the isolates resistant to chloramphenicol, clindamycin, and erythromycin, 98.33% resistant to doxycycline, 95% resistant to oxacillin, and 85% resistant to cefoxitin. Regarding the mecA gene, 27 (45%) samples were positive for the presence of this gene, and three (11.11%) were phenotypically sensitive to oxacillin and cefoxitin. This finding highlights the importance of researching the phenotypic profile of resistance to different antimicrobials and resistance genes in the different phases of pig rearing to identify the real risk of these isolates from a One Health perspective. The present study revealed the presence of samples resistant to different antibiotics in recently weaned production animal that had not been markedly exposed to antimicrobials as growth promoters or even as prophylactics. This information highlights the need for more research on the possible sharing of bacteria between sows and piglets, the environmental pressure within production environments, and the exposure of handlers during their transport, especially considering the community, hospital, and political importance of the presence of circulating resistant strains. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd
The wildlife trade regime is largely governed by the framework established by the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The emergence of COVID-19 in late 2019 as a zoonotic disease, attributed to either bats or pangolins, might imply that the subsequent pandemic could have been prevented if wildlife trading under CITES was better regulated through provisions related to public health. Many species of bats and pangolins are indeed listed as endangered under Appendix I of CITES. But is CITES well equipped to deal with public health in the context of the wildlife trade? Given that the text of CITES does not primarily deal with health-related aspects of the wildlife trade, the treaty text may need to be amended. Even without significant amendments, however, the existing framework of CITES could conform to the One Health approach – integrating animal, human and environmental health – depending upon the willingness of States Parties to adopt national legislation that advances several health-related resolutions made under CITES and other relevant instruments that regulate human–wildlife interactions. As 60 per cent of the diseases in the world are zoonotic, and 13 zoonoses are responsible for close to 2.4 billion cases of sickness per year, the management of zoonotic diseases within the CITES framework could have important implications for the wildlife trade, international environmental law, and the future of global health. © 2022 The Author and 2022 Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
Given the enormous global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Canada, and manifold other zoonotic pathogen activity, there is a pressing need for a deeper understanding of the human-animal-environment interface and the intersecting biological, ecological, and societal factors contributing to the emergence, spread, and impact of zoonotic diseases. We aim to apply a One Health approach to pressing issues related to emerging zoonoses, and propose a functional framework of interconnected but distinct groups of recommendations around strategy and governance, technical leadership (operations), equity, education and research for a One Health approach and Action Plan for Canada. Change is desperately needed, beginning by reorienting our approach to health and recalibrating our perspectives to restore balance with the natural world in a rapid and sustainable fashion. In Canada, a major paradigm shift in how we think about health is required. All of society must recognize the intrinsic value of all living species and the importance of the health of humans, other animals, and ecosystems to health for all. © 2022 Authors: Mubareka, Amuasi, Banerjee, Carabin, Jack, Jardine, Jaroszewicz, Keefe, Kotwa, Kutz, McGregor, Mease, Nicholson, Nowak, Reed, Saint-Charles, Simonienko, Weese, Parmley, and The Crown.
Members of the Campylobacter lari group are causative agents of human gastroenteritis and are frequently found in shellfish, marine waters, shorebirds, and marine mammals. Within a One Health context, we used comparative genomics to characterize isolates from a diverse range of sources and geographical locations within Europe and Australia and assess possible transmission of food, animal, and environmental isolates to the human host. A total of 158 C. lari isolates from Australia, Denmark, France, and Germany, which included 82 isolates from human stool and blood, 12 from food, 14 from domestic animal, 19 from waterbirds, and 31 from the environment were analyzed. Genome-wide analysis of the genetic diversity, virulence, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) traits was carried-out. Most of the isolates belonged to C. lari subsp. lari (Cll; 98, 62.0%), while C. lari subsp. concheus and C. lari urease-positive thermotolerant Campylobacter (UPTC) were represented by 12 (7.6%) and 15 (9.5%) isolates, respectively. Furthermore, 33 (20.9%) isolates were not assigned a subspecies and were thus attributed to distant Campylobacter spp. clades. Whole-genome sequence-derived multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and core-genome MLST (cgMLST) analyses revealed a high genetic diversity with 97 sequence types (STs), including 60 novel STs and 14 cgMLST clusters (#10 allele differences), respectively. The most prevalent STs were ST-21, ST-70, ST-24, and ST-58 (accounting for 13.3%, 4.4%, 3.8%, and 3.2% of isolates, respectively). A high prevalence of the 125 examined virulence-related loci (from 76.8 to 98.4% per isolate) was observed, especially in Cll isolates, suggesting a probable human pathogenicity of these strains. IMPORTANCE Currently, relatedness between bacterial isolates impacting human health is easily monitored by molecular typing methods. These approaches rely on discrete loci or whole-genome sequence (WGS) analyses. Campylobacter lari is an emergent human pathogen isolated from diverse ecological niches, including fecal material from humans and animals, aquatic environments, and seafood. The presence of C. lari in such diverse sources underlines the importance of adopting an integrated One Health approach in studying C. lari population structure for conducting epidemiological risk assessment. This retrospective study presents a comparative genomics analysis of C. lari isolates retrieved from two different continents (Europe and Australia) and from different sources (human, domestic animals, waterbirds, food, and environment). It was designed to improve knowledge regarding C. lari ecology and pathogenicity, important for developing effective surveillance and disease prevention strategies. Copyright © 2022 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
This study aimed to characterize a Klebsiella pneumoniae strain (KP411) recovered from the stool samples of poultry (Gallus gallus) in the Brazilian Amazon Region. The whole-genome sequencing of KP411 revealed the presence of an important arsenal of antimicrobial resistance genes to β-lactams (blaCTX-M-14, blaTEM-1B, blaKPC-2, blaSVH-11), aminoglycosides [aph(3″)- Ib, aph(6)-Id, aph(3′)-Ia], sulfonamides (sul1, sul2), quinolones (oqxAB), fosfomycin (fosAKP), and macrolides [mph(A)]. Furthermore, our analyses revealed that the KP411 strain belongs to the ST258 clonal lineage, which is one of the main epidemic clones responsible for the dissemination of KPC-2 worldwide. Our data suggest that food-producing animals may act as reservoirs of multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae belonging to the ST258 clone, and, consequently, contribute to their dissemination to humans and the environment. © 2022 by the authors.
There is growing recognition of the threat posed by toxic lead-based ammunition. One group of domestic animals known to be susceptible to harmful lead exposure via this route is hunting dogs. Scent-trailing dogs (‘hounds’) are used to hunt introduced sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) during a prescribed eight-month (April–November) annual hunting season, during which they are fed fresh venison, in Victoria, south-eastern Australia. We used this annual season as a natural experiment to undertake longitudinal sampling of dogs for lead exposure. Blood was collected from 27 dogs owned by four different deer hunters and comprising three different breeds just prior to the start of the hound hunting season (March 2022) and in the middle of the season (August 2022), and blood lead levels (BLLs) (μg/dL) were determined via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Using Tobit regression, the expected BLLs across all dogs were significantly lower before the season (0.50 μg/dL, standard error [SE] = 0.32 μg/dL) than during the season (1.39 μg/dL, SE = 0.35 μg/dL) (p = 0.01). However, when the breed of dog was included in the analyses, this effect was only significant in beagles (P < 0.001), not bloodhounds (p = 0.73) or harriers (p = 0.43). For 32% of the dogs before the season, and 56% during the season, BLLs exceeded the established threshold concentration for developmental neurotoxicity in humans (1.2 μg/dL). Time since most recent venison feeding, sex of dog and owner were not associated with BLLs. The finding that BLLs more than doubled during the hunting season indicates that lead exposure is a risk in this context. These results expand the sphere of impact from environmental lead in Australia from wild animals and humans, to include some groups of domestic animals, a textbook example of a One Health issue. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd
Unexpected pathogen transmission between animals, humans and their shared environments can impact all aspects of society. The Tripartite organisations-the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)-have been collaborating for over two decades. The inclusion of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) with the Tripartite, forming the â € Quadripartite’ in 2021, creates a new and important avenue to engage environment sectors in the development of additional tools and resources for One Health coordination and improved health security globally. Beginning formally in 2010, the Tripartite set out strategic directions for the coordination of global activities to address health risks at the human-Animal-environment interface. This paper highlights the historical background of this collaboration in the specific area of health security, using country examples to demonstrate lessons learnt and the evolution and pairing of Tripartite programmes and processes to jointly develop and deliver capacity strengthening tools to countries and strengthen performance for iterative evaluations. Evaluation frameworks, such as the International Health Regulations (IHR) Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, the WOAH Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) Pathway and the FAO multisectoral evaluation tools for epidemiology and surveillance, support a shared global vision for health security, ultimately serving to inform decision making and provide a systematic approach for improved One Health capacity strengthening in countries. Supported by the IHR-PVS National Bridging Workshops and the development of the Tripartite Zoonoses Guide and related operational tools, the Tripartite and now Quadripartite, are working alongside countries to address critical gaps at the human-Animal-environment interface. © 2023 BMJ Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
Brucellosis is a typical zoonosis driven by various risk factors, including environmental ones. The present study aimed to explore the driving effect of environmental factors on human brucellosis in a high incidence rate area, which provides understanding and implications in mitigating disease transmission risk in a multi-system between the human-animal-environment interface for preventing and controlling brucellosis based on the One Health concept. Based on the monthly time series data of human brucellosis and environmental variables, a Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Model with explanatory variables (SARIMAX) was applied to assess the association between environmental indicators and human brucellosis incidence (IHB). The results indicated distinct seasonal fluctuation during the study duration, tending to climb from April to August. Atmospheric pressure, precipitation, relative humidity, mean temperature, sunshine duration, and normalized difference vegetation index significantly drive IHB. Moreover, the well-fitting and predicting capability were performed and assessed in the optimal model was the SARIMAX (0,1,1) (0,1,1)12 model with the normalized difference vegetation index (β = 0.349, P = 0.036) and mean temperature (β = 0.133, P = 0.046) lagged in 6 months, and the precipitation lagged in 1 month (β = −0.090, P = 0.004). Our study suggests the association between environmental risk factors and human brucellosis infection, which can be contributed to mitigating the transmission risk in the environmental drivers in a multi-system interface through comprehensive prevention and intervention strategies based on the One Health concept. © 2022 The Author(s)
Purpose: Cat scratch disease (CSD) frequently has ophthalmologic manifestations. The ophthalmologist’s approach to treating neuroretinitis is familiar, but few eye care providers are comfortable answering the next question of “what do I do with my cat?” Published guidelines are often vague in answering the complexities of real-life conundrums that can lead patients and their doctors to believe that risk mitigation should involve removal of the animal. Here, we present demonstrative scenarios informed by clinical practice and provide updated recommendations. Observations: A 10-year-old boy presented with reduced vision in the right eye. Funduscopic examination identified optic nerve head edema with subretinal fluid, and a macular star developed one week later, consistent with the diagnosis of neuroretinitis. Serology confirmed Bartonella henselae antibodies and a diagnosis of CSD. The father disclosed that the family has recently adopted three kittens, who have scratched the boy and the patient’s younger sister. The physician and patient’s family find themselves at a loss regarding best practices for what should be done with the kittens. Conclusions and Importance: B. henselae has been detected in a variety of mammals and can be transmitted via vectors such as fleas. Even well-appearing animals can transmit the bacteria, months to years after their initial infection. Symptoms, clinical and laboratory findings will depend on bacterial load and strain virulence, as well as the physiological/immunological status of the host, with people at the extremes of age and the immunocompromised being at greater disease risk. Flea control is crucial to minimize transmission risk. Our veterinary expert (EBB) recommends testing (with serology and PCR) and treating infected animals (with doxycycline and a quinolone). Patients should be counseled to speak with their pets’ veterinarian. When addressing the concerns of our CSD patients in clinical practice, ophthalmologists should be aware of the strategies for minimizing Bartonella transmission risk, and cognizant of the One Health approach for managing zoonoses. © 2022
Poultry meat has been a vehicle of antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes. Yet, the diversity of selective pressures associated with their maintenance in the poultry-production chain remains poorly explored. We evaluated the susceptibility of Enterococcus spp. from chicken meat collected 20 years apart to antibiotics, metals, acidic pH and peracetic acid-PAA. Contemporary chicken-meat samples (n = 53 batches, each including a pool of neck skin from 10 single carcasses) were collected in a slaughterhouse facility using PAA as disinfectant (March–August 2018, North of Portugal). Broilers were raised in intensive farms (n = 29) using CuSO4 and organic acids as feed additives. Data were compared with that of 67 samples recovered in the same region during 1999–2001. All 2018 samples had multidrug resistant-MDR isolates, with >45 % carrying Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium or Enterococcus gallinarum resistant to tetracycline, erythromycin, ampicillin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol or aminoglycosides. Resistance rates were similar (P > 0.05) to those of 1999–2001 samples for all but five antibiotics. The decrease of samples carrying vancomycin-resistant isolates from 46 % to 0 % between 1999-2001 and 2018 was the most striking difference. Isolates from both periods were similarly susceptible to acid pH [minimum-growth pH (4.5-5.0), minimum-survival pH (3.0-4.0)] and to PAA (MIC90 = 100–120 mg/L/MBC90 = 140–160 mg/L; below concentrations used in slaughterhouse). Copper tolerance genes (tcrB and/or cueO) were respectively detected in 21 % and 4 % of 2018 and 1999-2001 samples. The tcrB gene was only detected in E. faecalis (MICCuSO4 > 12 mM), and their genomes were compared with other international ones of chicken origin (PATRIC database), revealing a polyclonal population and a plasmid or chromosomal location for tcrB. The tcrB plasmids shared diverse genetic modules, including multiple antimicrobial resistance genes (e.g. to tetracyclines, chloramphenicol, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B-MLSB, aminoglycosides, bacitracin, coccidiostats). When in chromosome, the tcrB gene was co-located closely to merA (mercury) genes. Chicken meat remains an important vehicle of MDR Enterococcus spp. able to survive under diverse stresses (e.g. copper, acid) potentially contributing to these bacteria maintenance and flux among animal-environment-humans. © 2022 The Authors
In the One Health context, Integrated Wildlife Monitoring (IWM) merges wildlife health monitoring (WHM) and host community monitoring to early detect emerging infections, record changes in disease dynamics, and assess the impact of interventions in complex multi-host and multi-pathogen networks. This study reports the deployment and results obtained from a nationwide IWM pilot test in eleven sites representing the habitat diversity of mainland Spain. In each study site, camera-trap networks and sampling of indicator species for antibody and biomarker analysis were used to generate information. The results allowed identifying differences in biodiversity and host community characteristics among the study sites, with a range of 8 to 19 relevant host species per point. The Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) was the most connected and central species of the host communities, becoming a key target indicator species for IWM. A negative relationship between biodiversity and disease risk was detected, with a lower number and prevalence of circulating pathogens in the sites with more species in the community and larger network size. However, this overall trend was modified by specific host-community and environmental factors, such as the relative index of wild boar – red deer interactions or the proximity to urban habitats, suggesting that human-driven imbalances may favour pathogen circulation. The effort of incorporating wildlife population monitoring into the currently applied WHM programs to achieve effective IWM was also evaluated, allowing to identify population monitoring as the most time-consuming component, which should be improved in the future. This first nationwide application of IWM allowed to detect drivers and hotspots for disease transmission risk among wildlife, domestic animals, and humans, as well as identifying key target indicator species for monitoring. Moreover, anthropogenic effects such as artificially high wildlife densities and urbanisation were identified as risk factors for disease prevalence and interspecific transmission. © 2022 The Authors
Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) is a highly prevalent neurodegenerative disease considered the canine analog of early Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Unfortunately, CCD cannot be cured. However, early therapeutic interventions can slow the progression of cognitive decline and improve quality of life of the patients; therefore, early diagnosis is ideal. In humans, electroencephalogram (EEG) findings specific to AD have been described, and some of them have successfully detect early stages of the disease. In this study we characterized the EEG correlates of CCD, and we compared them with the EEGs of healthy aging dogs and dogs at risk of developing CCD. EEG recordings were performed in 25 senior dogs during wakefulness. Dogs were categorized in normal, at risk of CCD or with CCD according to their score in the Rofina questionnaire. We demonstrated that, quantitative EEG can detect differences between normal dogs and dogs with CCD. Dogs with CCD experience a reduction in beta and gamma interhemispheric coherence, and higher Joint Lempel Ziv complexity. Dogs at risk of developing CCD, had higher alpha power and interhemispheric coherence, making these features potential markers of early stages of the disease. These results demonstrate that quantitative EEG analysis could aid the diagnosis of CCD, and reinforce the CCD as a translational model of early AD. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd
Mobile zoos are events in which non-domesticated (exotic) and domesticated species are transported to venues such as schools, hospitals, parties, and community centres, for the purposes of education, entertainment, or social and therapeutic assistance. We conducted literature searches and surveyed related government agencies regarding existing provisions within laws and policies, number of mobile zoos, and formal guidance issued concerning operation of such events in 74 countries or regions. We also examined governmental and non-governmental guidance standards for mobile zoos, as well as websites for mobile zoo operations, assessed promotional or educational materials for scientific accuracy, and recorded the diversity of species in use. We used the EMODE (Easy, Moderate, Difficult, or Extreme) algorithm, to evaluate identified species associated with mobile zoos for their suitability for keeping. We recorded 14 areas of concern regarding animal biology and public health and safety, and 8 areas of false and misleading content in promotional or educational materials. We identified at least 341 species used for mobile zoos. Mobile zoos are largely unregulated, unmonitored, and uncontrolled, and appear to be increasing. Issues regarding poor animal welfare, public health and safety, and education raise several serious concerns. Using the precautionary principle when empirical evidence was not available, we advise that exotic species should not be used for mobile zoos and similar itinerant events. © 2023 by the authors.
Neoehrlichia mikurensis is a new emerging tick-borne Gram-negative bacterium, belonging to the family Anaplasmataceae, the main vector of which in Europe is the tick Ixodes ricinus. N. mikurensis is responsible for neoehrlichiosis, occurring mostly in patients with underlying diseases. In the present study, a total of 348 I. ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus ticks collected in north-eastern Poland were analyzed for the prevalence of N. mikurensis. A total of 140 questing ticks (124 of I. ricinus ticks and 16 D. reticulatus) collected with the flagging method and 208 ticks (105 and 103 I. ricinus and D. reticulatus, respectively) removed from dogs were selected for the study. cDNA (questing ticks) and total DNA (questing and feeding ticks) were analyzed by qPCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene of N. mikurensis. Positive samples were further analyzed by nested PCR and sequencing. The prevalence differed between ticks collected from vegetation (19.3%; 27/140) and ticks removed from dogs (6.7%; 14/208). The presence of the pathogen in questing and feeding D. reticulatus ticks was proven in Poland for the first time. In summary, our research showed that infections of ticks of both the most common tick species I. ricinus and D. reticulatus in north-eastern Poland are present and ticks collected from urban areas were more often infected than ticks from suburban and natural areas. The detection of N. mikurensis in I. ricinus and D. reticulatus ticks from north-eastern Poland indicates potential transmission risk for tick-bitten humans at this latitude. © 2023 by the authors.
Despite the widespread acceptance of the need for intersectoral and multisectoral approaches, knowledge around how to support, achieve, and sustain multisectoral action is limited. While there have been studies that seek to collate evidence on multisectoral action with a specific focus (e.g., Health in All Policies [HiAP]), we postulated that successes of working cross-sectorally to achieve health goals with one approach can glean insights and perhaps translate to other approaches which work across sectors (i.e., shared insights across HiAP, Healthy Cities, One Health, and other approaches). Thus, the goal of this study is to assemble evidence from systematic approaches to reviewing the literature (e.g., scoping review, systematic review) that collate findings on facilitators/enablers of and barriers to implementing various intersectoral and multisectoral approaches to health, to strengthen understanding of how to best implement health policies that work across sectors, whichever they may be. This umbrella review (i.e., review of reviews) was informed by the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews, yielding 10 studies included in this review. Enablers detailed are: (1) systems for liaising and engaged communication; (2) political leadership; (3) shared vision or common goals (win-win strategies); (4) education and access to information; and (5) funding. Barriers detailed were: (1) lack of shared vision across sectors; (2) lack of funding; (3) lack of political leadership; (4) lack of ownership and accountability; and (5) insufficient and unavailable indicators and data. These findings provide a rigorous evidence base for policymakers to inform intersectoral and multisectoral approaches to not only aid in the achievement of goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, but to work towards health equity. © 2022 The Authors
Bats have emerged as potential carriers of zoonotic viruses and bacteria, including antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Staphylococcaceae has been isolated from their gut and nasopharynx, but there is little information about Staphylococcaceae on bat skin. Therefore, this study aimed to decipher the Staphylococci species in bat skin and their antimicrobial susceptibility profile. One hundred and forty-seven skin swabs were collected from bats during the spring and summer of 2021 and 2022. Bats were captured in different areas of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, Brazil, according to the degree of anthropization: Area 1 (Forested), Area 2 (Rural), Area 3 (Residential-A), Area 4 (Slum-– up to two floors), Area 5 (Residential-B—condo buildings), and Area 6 (Industrial). Swabs were kept in peptone water broth at 37 °C for 12 h when bacterial growth was streaked in Mannitol salt agar and incubated at 37 °C for 24 h. The disc-diffusion test evaluated antimicrobial susceptibility. Staphylococcaceae were isolated from 42.8% of bats, mostly from young, from the rural area, and during summer. M. sciuri was the most frequent species; S. aureus was also isolated. About 95% of isolates were resistant to at least one drug, and most strains were penicillin resistant. Eight isolates were methicillin resistant, and the mecA gene was detected in one isolate (S. haemolyticus). Antimicrobial resistance is a One Health issue that is not evaluated enough in bats. The results indicate that bats are carriers of clinically meaningful S. aureus and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Finally, the results suggest that we should intensify action plans to control the spread of resistant bacteria. © 2023 by the authors.
Non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) are ubiquitous bacteria in livestock-associated environments where they may act as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes for pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus. Here, we tested whether housing conditions in pig farms could influence the overall AMR-NAS burden. Two hundred and forty porcine commensal and environmental NAS isolates from three different farm types (conventional, alternative, and organic) were tested for phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility and subjected to whole genome sequencing. Genomic data were analysed regarding species identity and AMR gene carriage. Seventeen different NAS species were identified across all farm types. In contrast to conventional farms, no AMR genes were detectable towards methicillin, aminoglycosides, and phenicols in organic farms. Additionally, AMR genes to macrolides and tetracycline were rare among NAS in organic farms, while such genes were common in conventional husbandries. No differences in AMR detection existed between farm types regarding fosfomycin, lincosamides, fusidic acid, and heavy metal resistance gene presence. The combined data show that husbandry conditions influence the occurrence of resistant and multidrug-resistant bacteria in livestock, suggesting that changing husbandry practices may be an appropriate means of limiting the spread of AMR bacteria on farms. © 2022 by the authors.
Background: The Kenyan government has successfully been implementing sector specific and multisectoral projects aligned to the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). For operational readiness and to enhance the effective planning and implementation of Global Health Security Programs (GHSP) at national and subnational level, there is an urgent need for stakeholders’ engagement process to seek input in identifying challenges, prioritise activities for field implementation, and identify applied research and development questions, that should be addressed in the next five years. Methods: The modified Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) method was used to identify global health security related priorities for multisectoral implementation in Kenya. Subject matter experts from human, animal and environmental health sectors at national and subnational level contributed to predefined research questions from a number of sources and activities for consideration for implementation using a One Health approach. Sixty-two experts scored the 193 questions based on five pre-defined criteria: 1) feasibility and answerability; 2) potential for burden reduction; 3) potential for a paradigm shift; 4) potential for translation and implementation; and 5) impact on equity. Data resulting from this process was then analysed in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to determine the research priorities and experts’ agreements. Results: Among the priority activities identified for implementation research were; strengthening One Health governance and legal frameworks; integration of ecosystem health into One Health programming; strengthening disease reporting, integrated data collection, information sharing and joint outbreak response; socio-anthropological and gender-based approaches in improving risk and behavioural change communication and community engagement; and one health workforce development. In addition, the potentials to invest in collaborative predictive risk modelling to enhance epidemic intelligence systems, while strengthening the One Health approach in the food safety incident and emergency response plans are feasible. Interpretation: Successful multisectoral implementation of global health security program in Kenya calls for a whole of society approach that will harness community and private sector knowledge to build preparedness and response capacities while targeting neglected and marginalised populations. This research provides a framework that is worth emulating for cost-effective planning and implementation of overarching One Health programs. © 2022
Despite ongoing control efforts, rabies remains an endemic zoonotic disease in many countries. Determining high-risk areas and the space-time patterns of rabies spread, as it relates to epidemiologically important factors, can support policymakers and program managers alike to develop evidence-based targeted surveillance and control programs. In this One Health approach which selected Thailand as the example site, the location-based risk of contracting dog-mediated rabies by both human and animal populations was quantified using a Bayesian spatial regression model. Specifically, a conditional autoregressive (CAR) Bayesian zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) regression was fitted to the reported human and animal rabies case counts of each district, from the 2012–2017 period. The human population was used as an offset. The epidemiologically important factors hypothesized as risk modifiers and therefore tested as predictors included: number of dog bites/attacks, the population of dogs and cats, number of Buddhist temples, garbage dumps, animal vaccination, post-exposure prophylaxis, poverty, and shared administrative borders. Disparate sources of data were used to improve the estimated associations and predictions. Model performance was assessed using cross-validation. Results suggested that accounting for the association between human and animal rabies with number of dog bites/attacks, number of owned and un-owned dogs; shared country borders, number of Buddhist temples, poverty levels, and accounting for spatial dependence between districts, may help to predict the risk districts for dog-mediated rabies in Thailand. The fitted values of the spatial regression were mapped to illustrate the risk of dog-mediated rabies. The cross-validation indicated an adequate performance of the spatial regression model (AUC = 0.81), suggesting that had this spatial regression approach been used to identify districts at risk in 2015, the cases reported in 2016/17 would have been predicted with model sensitivity and specificity of 0.71 and 0.80, respectively. While active surveillance is ideal, this approach of using multiple data sources to improve risk estimation may inform current rabies surveillance and control efforts including determining rabies-free zones, and the roll-out of human post-exposure prophylaxis and anti-rabies vaccines for animals in determining high-risk areas. © 2022 The Authors
Within One Health, research translation is a dynamic process involving collaboration and communication between the human, animal, and environmental health sectors to create and apply research findings to address health threats at the human-animal-environment interface. Research translation is essential for the creation of evidence-based policies and programs for the prevention and control of infectious diseases and other health threats, and thus is an important component of a robust national capacity to effectively prevent, control, and mitigate biological incidents. However, there is a lack of conceptual guidance and training materials for research translation in a One Health context. To address this need, we developed a novel One Health Research Translation Framework that describes an iterative process for research and policy stakeholders to collaborate to design and implement research applications addressing One Health zoonotic disease challenges. In addition, we developed accompanying training materials to validate the Framework and facilitate capacity building for understanding and applying research translation concepts to zoonotic disease threats. The training materials consist of exercises to map One Health communication pathways and literature-based case studies on research translation to address zoonotic disease concerns. The Framework and training materials were piloted with Egyptian One Health stakeholders at a workshop in Cairo in 2018. The outcomes of the workshop validated the comprehensiveness and applicability of the Framework and training materials, as participants were able to demonstrate a firm understanding of research translation processes and successfully apply research translation and One Health concepts to real-world zoonotic disease scenarios. Overall, the Framework and accompanying training materials address an important gap in capacity building for One Health stakeholders and are valuable tools for strengthening research translation networks that promote development of innovative, evidence-based solutions to One Health zoonotic disease threats. © 2022 The Authors
Background: A One Health approach has been increasingly mainstreamed by the international community, as it provides for holistic thinking in recognizing the close links and inter-dependence of the health of humans, animals and the environment. However, the dearth of real-world evidence has hampered application of a One Health approach in shaping policies and practice. This study proposes the development of a potential evaluation tool for One Health performance, in order to contribute to the scientific measurement of One Health approach and the identification of gaps where One Health capacity building is most urgently needed. Methods: We describe five steps towards a global One Health index (GOHI), including (i) framework formulation; (ii) indicator selection; (iii) database building; (iv) weight determination; and (v) GOHI scores calculation. A cell-like framework for GOHI is proposed, which comprises an external drivers index (EDI), an intrinsic drivers index (IDI) and a core drivers index (CDI). We construct the indicator scheme for GOHI based on this framework after multiple rounds of panel discussions with our expert advisory committee. A fuzzy analytical hierarchy process is adopted to determine the weights for each of the indicators. Results: The weighted indicator scheme of GOHI comprises three first-level indicators, 13 second-level indicators, and 57 third-level indicators. According to the pilot analysis based on the data from more than 200 countries/territories the GOHI scores overall are far from ideal (the highest score of 65.0 out of a maximum score of 100), and we found considerable variations among different countries/territories (31.8–65.0). The results from the pilot analysis are consistent with the results from a literature review, which suggests that a GOHI as a potential tool for the assessment of One Health performance might be feasible. Conclusions: GOHI—subject to rigorous validation—would represent the world’s first evaluation tool that constructs the conceptual framework from a holistic perspective of One Health. Future application of GOHI might promote a common understanding of a strong One Health approach and provide reference for promoting effective measures to strengthen One Health capacity building. With further adaptations under various scenarios, GOHI, along with its technical protocols and databases, will be updated regularly to address current technical limitations, and capture new knowledge. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. © 2022, The Author(s).
Mosquitoes are a formidable reservoir of viruses and important vectors of zoonotic pathogens. Blood-fed mosquitoes have been utilized to determine host infection status, overcoming the difficulties associated with sampling from human and animal populations. Comprehensive surveillance of potential pathogens at the interface of humans, animals, and the environment is currently an accredited method to provide an early warning of emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases and to proactively respond to them. Herein we performed comprehensive sampling of mosquitoes from seven habitats (residential areas, hospital, airplane, harbor, zoo, domestic sheds, and forest park) across five cities in Guangdong Province, China. Our aim was to characterize the viral communities and blood feeding patterns at the human-animal-environment interface and analyze the potential risk of cross-species transmission using meta-transcriptomic sequencing. 1898 female adult mosquitoes were collected, including 1062 Aedes and 836 Culex mosquitoes, of which approximately 12% (n = 226) were satiated with blood. Consequently, 101 putative viruses were identified, which included DNA and RNA viruses, and positive-stranded RNA viruses (+ssRNA) were the most abundant. According to viral diversity analysis, the composition of the viral structure was highly dependent on host species, and Culex mosquitoes showed richer viral diversity than Aedes mosquitoes. Although the virome of mosquitoes from different sampling habitats showed an overlap of 39.6%, multiple viruses were specific to certain habitats, particularly at the human-animal interface. Blood meal analysis found four mammals and one bird bloodmeal source, including humans, dogs, cats, poultry, and rats. Further, the blood feeding patterns of mosquitoes were found to be habitat dependent, and mosquitoes at the human-animal interface and from forests had a wider choice of hosts, including humans, domesticated animals, and wildlife, which in turn considerably increases the risk of spillover of potential zoonotic pathogens. To summarize, we are the first to investigate the virome of mosquitoes from multiple interfaces based on the One Health concept. The characteristics of viral community and blood feeding patterns of mosquitoes at the human-animal-environment interface were determined. Our findings should support surveillance activities to identify known and potential pathogens that are pathogenic to vertebrates. © 2023
This manuscript showcases results from a large scale and comprehensive wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) study focussed on multi-biomarker suite analysis of both chemical and biological determinants in 10 cities and towns across England equating to a population of ∼7 million people. Multi-biomarker suite analysis, describing city metabolism, can provide a holistic understanding to encompass all of human, and human-derived, activities of a city in a single model: from lifestyle choices (e.g. caffeine intake, nicotine) through to health status (e.g. prevalence of pathogenic organisms, usage of pharmaceuticals as proxy for non-communicable disease, NCD, conditions or infectious disease status), and exposure to harmful chemicals due to environmental and industrial sources (e.g. pesticide intake via contaminated food and industrial exposure). Population normalised daily loads (PNDLs) of many chemical markers were found, to a large extent, driven by the size of population contributing to wastewater (especially NCDs). However, there are several exceptions providing insights into chemical intake that can inform either disease status in various communities or unintentional exposure to hazardous chemicals: e.g. very high PNDLs of ibuprofen in Hull resulting from its direct disposal (confirmed by ibuprofen/2-hydroxyibuprofen ratios) and bisphenol A (BPA) in Hull, Lancaster and Portsmouth likely related to industrial discharge. An importance for tracking endogenous health markers such as 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-mercapturic acid (HNE-MA, an oxidative stress marker) as a generic marker of health status in communities was observed due to increased levels of HNE-MA seen at Barnoldswick wastewater treatment plant that coincided with higher-than-average paracetamol usage and SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in this community. PNDLs of virus markers were found to be highly variable. Being very prevalent in communities nationwide during sampling, SARS-CoV-2 presence in wastewater was to a large extent community driven. The same applies to the fecal marker virus, crAssphage, which is very prevalent in urban communities. In contrast, norovirus and enterovirus showed much higher variability in prevalence across all sites investigated, with clear cases of localized outbreaks in some cities while maintaining low prevalence in other locations. In conclusion, this study clearly demonstrates the potential for WBE to provide an integrated assessment of community health which can help target and validate policy interventions aimed at improving public health and wellbeing. © 2023 The Authors
Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top ten global public health challenges. However, given the lack of a comprehensive assessment of worldwide AMR status, our objective is to develop a One Health-based system-wide evaluation tool on global AMR. Methods: We have further developed the three-hierarchical Global One Health Index (GOHI)-AMR indicator scheme, which consists of five key indicators, 17 indicators, and 49 sub-indicators, by incorporating 146 countries’ data from diverse authoritative databases, including WHO’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) and the European CDC. We investigated the overall- or sub-rankings of GOHI-AMR at the international/regional/national levels for data preprocessing and score calculation utilizing the existing GOHI methodology. Additionally, a correlation analysis was conducted between the GOHI-AMR and other socioeconomic factors. Results: The average GOHI-AMR score for 146 countries is 38.45. As expected, high-income countries (HICs) outperform the other three income groups on overall rankings and all five key indicators of GOHI-AMR, whereas low-income countries unexpectedly outperform upper-middle-income countries and lower-middle-income countries on the antibiotics-resistant key indicator (ARR) and ARR-subordinate indicators, including carbapenem-, β-lactam-, and quinolone resistance, and even HICs on aminoglycoside resistance. There were no significant differences among the four groups on the environmental-monitoring indicator (P > 0.05). GOHI-AMR was positively correlated with gross domestic product, life expectancy, and AMR-related publications, but negatively with natural growth rate and chronic respiratory disease. In contrast to Cyprus, the remarkably lower prevalence of “ESKAPE pathogens” in high-scoring Sweden and Denmark highlights Europe’s huge gaps. China and Russia outperformed the other three BRICS countries on all key indicators, particularly India’s ARR and Brazil’s AMR laboratory network and coordination capacity. Furthermore, significant internal disparities in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prevalence were observed between China and the USA, with MRSA prevalence both gradually declining, whereas CRKP prevalence has been declining in the USA but increasing in China, consistent with higher carbapenems-related indicator’ performance in USA. Conclusions: GOHI-AMR is the most comprehensive tool currently available for the assessment of AMR status worldwide. We discovered unique features impacting AMR in each country and offered precise recommendations to improve the capacity to tackle AMR in low-ranking countries. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. © 2022, The Author(s).
Background: One Health has become a global consensus to deal with complex health problems. However, the progress of One Health implementation in many countries is still relatively slow, and there is a lack of systematic evaluation index. The purpose of this study was to establish an indicator framework for global One Health Intrinsic Drivers index (GOH-IDI) to evaluate human, animal and environmental health development process globally. Method: First, 82 studies were deeply analyzed by a grounded theory (GT) method, including open coding, axial coding, and selective coding, to establish a three-level indicator framework, which was composed of three selective codes, 19 axial codes, and 79 open codes. Then, through semi-structured interviews with 28 health-related experts, the indicators were further integrated and simplified according to the inclusion criteria of the indicators. Finally, the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process combined with the entropy weight method was used to assign weights to the indicators, thus, forming the evaluation indicator framework of human, animal and environmental health development process. Results: An indicator framework for GOH-IDI was formed consisting of three selective codes, 15 axial codes and 61 open codes. There were six axial codes for “Human Health”, of which “Infectious Diseases” had the highest weight (19.76%) and “Injuries and Violence” had the lowest weight (11.72%). There were four axial codes for “Animal Health”, of which “Animal Epidemic Disease” had the highest weight (39.28%) and “Animal Nutritional Status” had the lowest weight (11.59%). Five axial codes were set under “Environmental Health”, among which, “Air Quality and Climate Change” had the highest weight (22.63%) and “Hazardous Chemicals” had the lowest weight (17.82%). Conclusions: An indicator framework for GOH-IDI was established in this study. The framework were universal, balanced, and scientific, which hopefully to be a tool for evaluation of the joint development of human, animal and environmental health in different regions globally. © 2022, The Author(s).
The “Joint Initiative for Teaching and Learning on Global Health Challenges and One Health” piloted the online course “Global Health Challenges and One Health in 2021. The present work documents this experience, lessons learned, and the future outlook of the course. A descriptive study was conducted based on the evaluations performed with the enrolled students and course coordinators. Of 30 enrolled students from graduate programs of six institutions from Brazil, Germany, Mozambique, and Kosovo, two unenrolled, and nine failed for not completing the activities. Therefore, 19 (63%) students completed the course. Some challenges identified were language and technology access barriers, difficulty scheduling group meetings due to different time zones, and high workload per credit in some institutions. Activities in groups conducted synchronously, such as debates, journal clubs, and case studies, were highlighted as those with higher impact in the learning process, having more participation of students when carried in small groups. Some students reported the establishment of research and work partnerships with other participants from partner institutions. The experience reinforces the importance of international exchange to improve collaboration between institutions and the impact of working in small interprofessional groups to develop technical, intercultural, and interdisciplinarity competencies necessary to human resources working with the One Health approach. The success of such international educational initiatives depends on overcoming barriers to implementation, which can be detected in institutional and course levels. Therefore, continuing evaluation of the course and improvements must be performed and involve all participants. © 2022 The Authors
Antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacteria isolated from cloacal samples of chicks of Canarian Egyptian vultures was investigated. Prevalence of Salmonella was also studied. Forty-seven isolates, obtained from 23 animals, were analysed. Escherichia coli (n = 29), Proteus mirabilis (n = 17) and Salmonella spp. (n = 1) were identified using API 20E system. Antimicrobial susceptibility to 13 antibiotics included in nine different categories was determined using disk-diffusion technique. The higher percentages of susceptible E. coli isolates were found for aminoglycosides and cefoxitin, and the lower ones were found for ampicillin, enrofloxacin and tetracycline. Proteus mirabilis isolates were susceptible to most of antimicrobials tested. Multidrug resistance patterns were found in 13 E. coli and four Proteus mirabilis. Salmonella spp. was detected in one chick (4.37%), and the isolate was also resistant to ampicillin and tetracycline. Thirteen E. coli isolates and four Proteus isolates showed a multidrug-resistance pattern, being resistant at least to one antibiotic in three or more different antimicrobial categories. This high level of antibiotic resistance in chickens of an endangered bird may be a limitation for possible treatments of infections in this species, as well as representing a source of resistant bacteria for animal care staff and for other animals in wildlife recovery centres. A “One Health” approach to this problem is necessary to reduce the levels of antimicrobial resistance in wild birds. © 2022 The Authors
The spillover of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from humans to white-tailed deer (WTD) and its ability to transmit from deer to deer raised concerns about the role of WTD in the epidemiology and ecology of the virus. Here, we present a comprehensive cross-sectional study assessing the prevalence, genetic diversity, and evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in WTD in the State of New York (NY). A total of 5,462 retropharyngeal lymph node samples collected from free-ranging hunter-harvested WTD during the hunting seasons of 2020 (Season 1, September to December 2020, n = 2,700) and 2021 (Season 2, September to December 2021, n = 2,762) were tested by SARS-CoV-2 real-time RT–PCR (rRT-PCR). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 17 samples (0.6%) from Season 1 and in 583 samples (21.1%) from Season 2. Hotspots of infection were identified in multiple confined geographic areas of NY. Sequence analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomes from 164 samples demonstrated the presence of multiple SARS-CoV-2 lineages and the cocirculation of three major variants of concern (VOCs) (Alpha, Gamma, and Delta) in WTD. Our analysis suggests the occurrence of multiple spillover events (human to deer) of the Alpha and Delta lineages with subsequent deer-to-deer transmission and adaptation of the viruses. Detection of Alpha and Gamma variants in WTD long after their broad circulation in humans in NY suggests that WTD may serve as a wildlife reservoir for VOCs no longer circulating in humans. Thus, implementation of continuous surveillance programs to monitor SARS-CoV-2 dynamics in WTD is warranted, and measures to minimize virus transmission between humans and animals are urgently needed. Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.
Human Campylobacter jejuni infections are rising globally. Since antibiotics are usually not indicated in acute campylobacteriosis, antibiotic-independent intervention measures are desirable. The phenolic compound carvacrol constitutes a promising candidate molecule given its antimicrobial and immune-modulatory features. To test the disease-alleviating effects of oral carvacrol treatment in acute murine campylobacteriosis, IL-10−/− mice harboring a human gut microbiota were perorally infected with C. jejuni and treated with carvacrol via the drinking water. Whereas C. jejuni stably established in the gastrointestinal tract of mice from the placebo cohort, carvacrol treatment resulted in lower pathogen loads in the small intestines on day 6 post infection. When compared to placebo, carvacrol ameliorated pathogen-induced symptoms including bloody diarrhea that was accompanied by less distinct histopathological and apoptotic cell responses in the colon. Furthermore, innate and adaptive immune cell numbers were lower in the colon of carvacrol- versus placebo-treated mice. Notably, carvacrol application dampened C. jejuni-induced secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators in intestinal, extra-intestinal and systemic organs to naive levels and furthermore, resulted in distinct shifts in the fecal microbiota composition. In conclusion, our preclinical placebo-controlled intervention study provides evidence that therapeutic carvacrol application constitutes a promising option to alleviate campylobacteriosis in the infected vertebrate host. © 2023 by the authors.
Digital technology is being introduced to global agriculture in a wide variety of forms that are collectively known as digital agriculture. In this paper we provide opportunities and value propositions of how this is occurring in livestock production systems, with a consistent emphasis on technology relating to animal health, animal welfare, and product quality for value creation. This is achieved by organizing individual accounts of digital agriculture in livestock systems according to four broad types—commodity-based; value seeking; subsistence and nature-based. Each type presents contrasting modes of value creation in downstream processing; as well as from the perspective of One Health. The ideal result of digital technology adoption is an equitable and substantial diversification of supply chains, increased monetization of animal product quality, and more sensitive management to meet customer demands and environmental threats. Such changes have a significance beyond the immediate value generated because they indicate endogenous growth in livestock systems, and may concern externalities imposed by the pursuit of purely commercial ends. Copyright © 2022 Baker, Jackson and Cook.
Objectives: While Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA), defined as CC398, is a well-known pathogen among those working with livestock, there are indications that LA-MRSA prevalence among the general population is increasing. However, the clinical impact in urban areas remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the genetic epidemiology and clinical characteristics of LA-MRSA in an urban area with a limited livestock population. Methods: In this retrospective study, we evaluated LA-MRSA strains that were collected between 2014 and 2018 from patients who received clinical care in a single urban area in Netherlands. Patient files were assessed for livestock exposure data, clinical findings, and contact tracing information. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis in combination with wgMLST was conducted to assess genetic diversity and relatedness and to detect virulence and resistance genes. Results: LA-MRSA strains were cultured from 81 patients, comprising 12% of all the MRSA strains found in seven study laboratories between 2014 and 2018. No livestock link was found in 76% of patients (n = 61), and 28% of patients (n = 23) had an infection, mostly of the skin or soft tissue. Contact tracing had been initiated in 14 cases, leading to the identification of two hospital transmissions: a cluster of 9 cases and one of 2 cases. NGS data were available for 91% (n = 75) of the patients. wgMLST confirmed the clusters detected via contact tracing (n = 2) and identified 5 additional clusters without a known epidemiological link. Relevant resistance and virulence findings included the PVL virulence gene (3 isolates) and tetracycline resistance (79 isolates). Conclusion: LA-MRSA may cause a relevant burden of disease in urban areas. Surprisingly, most infections in the present study occurred in the absence of a livestock link, suggesting inter-human transmission. These findings and the presence of PVL and other immune evasive complex virulence genes warrant future surveillance and preventative measures. Copyright © 2022 Konstantinovski, Schouls, Witteveen, Claas, Kraakman, Kalpoe, Mattson, Hetem, van Elzakker, Kerremans, Hira, Bosch and Gooskens.
Background: Livestock systems have been proposed as a reservoir for antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria and AMR genetic determinants that may infect or colonise humans, yet quantitative evidence regarding their epidemiological role remains lacking. Here, we used a combination of genomics, epidemiology and ecology to investigate patterns of AMR gene carriage in Escherichia coli, regarded as a sentinel organism. Methods: We conducted a structured epidemiological survey of 99 households across Nairobi, Kenya, and whole genome sequenced E. coli isolates from 311 human, 606 livestock and 399 wildlife faecal samples. We used statistical models to investigate the prevalence of AMR carriage and characterise AMR gene diversity and structure of AMR genes in different host populations across the city. We also investigated household-level risk factors for the exchange of AMR genes between sympatric humans and livestock. Results: We detected 56 unique acquired genes along with 13 point mutations present in variable proportions in human and animal isolates, known to confer resistance to nine antibiotic classes. We find that AMR gene community composition is not associated with host species, but AMR genes were frequently co-located, potentially enabling the acquisition and dispersal of multi-drug resistance in a single step. We find that whilst keeping livestock had no influence on human AMR gene carriage, the potential for AMR transmission across human-livestock interfaces is greatest when manure is poorly disposed of and in larger households. Conclusions: Findings of widespread carriage of AMR bacteria in human and animal populations, including in long-distance wildlife species, in community settings highlight the value of evidence-based surveillance to address antimicrobial resistance on a global scale. Our genomic analysis provided an in-depth understanding of AMR determinants at the interfaces of One Health sectors that will inform AMR prevention and control. © 2022, The Author(s).
Since the last survey on gastrointestinal (GIT) parasites infecting dogs in Dakahlia governorate, Egypt, was published 40 years ago, the present study detected various GIT parasites in feces of 78 stray dogs in this governorate. Twenty-one dogs (35.9%) had eggs/oocysts of eight different parasites including Toxocara canis (19.2%), Toxascaris leonina (2.6%), hookworms (1.3%), Taenia species (5.1%), Dipylidium caninum (2.6%), Cystoisospora canis (5.1%), Cystoisospora ohioensis (2.6%), and Neospora caninum-like oocysts (1.3%). These results were combined in various meta-analyses with findings of all published surveys on GIT parasites of dogs in Egypt to underline the potential parasitic zoonoses from dogs in the country. Feces and/or gastrointestinal tracts of 19,807 dogs from various Egyptian governorates, but particularly Cairo, have been microscopically tested in 182 datasets published between 1938 and 2022, revealed during our systematic database search. Toxocara canis, interestingly, displayed a twofold higher pooled prevalence (24.7%) when compared to the published global pooled prevalence for T. canis, indicating that dogs represent a major risk for toxocariasis in humans from Egypt. Dipylidium caninum (25.4%) as well as various Taenia species (17.1%) also displayed high pooled prevalences. On the contrary, lower pooled prevalence was estimated for the most important zoonotic taeniid “Echinococcus granulosus” (2.4%) as well as for hookworms (1.8%) in comparison to what has been published from other countries in the region. Relatively high prevalences were estimated for three protozoa detected in dogs and are common to infect children in Egypt; Cryptosporidium (5.5%), Giardia (7.4%), and Entamoeba histolytica (9.8%). In general, the pooled prevalence estimated for various parasites detected in dogs from Egypt has decreased in the recent years, sometimes by as much as one-fifth, but this great decline is statistically insignificant, which should alert the veterinary and public health authorities to continue their efforts for controlling these parasites in a “One Health” approach. © 2023 by the authors.
Pig farming’s influence on human gut microbiota has been observed previously, but its pervasiveness is unclear. We therefore aimed at studying whether pig farming influenced human gut microbiota composition in Thailand and whether poultry farming did too. We collected human stool samples (71 pig farmers, 131 chicken farmers, 55 non-farmers) for 16S rRNA sequencing and performed subsequent DADA2 analyses of amplicon sequence variants. We found that Alpha diversity values were highest among chicken farmers. Relative abundances of Prevotellaceae were significantly higher among pig farmers than among chicken farmers and non-farmers (p < 0.001). Beta diversity plots revealed different clustering according to occupation. The presence or absence of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli was not associated with changes in gut microbiota composition. In conclusion, occupation was the strongest factor influencing gut microbiota composition in Thailand. We hypothesize that Prevotellaceae amplicon sequence variants are transmitted from pigs to pig farmers. © 2022 The Authors
[No abstract available]
Effectively preventing and controlling zoonotic diseases requires a One Health approach that involves collaboration across sectors responsible for human health, animal health (both domestic and wildlife), and the environment, as well as other partners. Here we describe the Generalizable One Health Framework (GOHF), a five-step framework that provides structure for using a One Health approach in zoonotic disease programs being implemented at the local, sub-national, national, regional, or international level. Part of the framework is a toolkit that compiles existing resources and presents them following a stepwise schematic, allowing users to identify relevant resources as they are required. Coupled with recommendations for implementing a One Health approach for zoonotic disease prevention and control in technical domains including laboratory, surveillance, preparedness and response, this framework can mobilize One Health and thereby enhance and guide capacity building to combat zoonotic disease threats at the human–animal–environment interface. © 2022, The Author(s).
Anthrax, caused by Bacillus anthracis, is a widespread zoonotic disease with many human cases, especially in developing countries. Even with its global distribution, anthrax is a neglected disease with scarce information about its actual impact on the community level. Due to the ecological dynamics of anthrax transmission at the wildlife-livestock interface, the Sub-Saharan Africa region becomes a high-risk zone for maintaining and acquiring the disease. In this regard, some subregions of Uganda are endemic to anthrax with regular seasonal trends. However, there is scarce data about anthrax outbreaks in Uganda. Here, we confirmed the presence of B. anthracis in several livestock samples after a suspected anthrax outbreak among livestock and humans in Arua District. Additionally, we explored the potential risk factors of anthrax through a survey within the community kraals. We provide evidence that the most affected livestock species during the Arua outbreak were cattle (86%) compared to the rest of the livestock species present in the area. Moreover, the farmers’ education level and the presence of people’s anthrax cases were the most critical factors determining the disease’s knowledge and awareness. Consequently, the lack of understanding of the ecology of anthrax may contribute to the spread of the infection between livestock and humans, and it is critical to reducing the presence and persistence of the B. anthracis spores in the environment. Finally, we discuss the increasingly recognized necessity to strengthen global capacity using a One Health approach to prevent, detect, control, and respond to public threats in Uganda. © 2023 The Author(s)
Sewage wastewater pollutes water and poses a public health issue but it could also prove useful in certain research domains. Sewage is a complex niche relevant for research concerning ‘one-health’, human health, pollution and antibiotic resistance. Indian gut microbiome is also understudied due to sampling constraints and sewage could be used to explore it. Ostensibly, Indian sewage needs to be studied and here, we performed a cross-sectional pan-India sewage sampling to generate the first comprehensive Indian sewage microbiome. Indian sewage showed predominance of Burkholderiaceae, Rhodocyclaceae, Veillonellaceae, Prevotellaceae, etc. and has high representation of gut microbes. The identified gut microbes have overrepresentation of Veillonellaceae, Rikenellaceae, Streptococcaceae, and Bacillaceae. Imputed metagenomics of sewage microbiome indicated dominance of transport, motility, peptidases, amino acid metabolism, and antibiotic resistance genes. Microbiome-disease associations drawn using simple decision tree and random forest analysis identified specific microbes as potential predictors of diabetes and obesity in a city. Altogether, we generated the first Indian sewage microbiome and our non-invasive, high-throughput workflow could be emulated for future research, wastewater-based epidemiology and designing policies concerning public health. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) continue to be amongst the most frequently used pharmaceutical treatments for mild to moderate musculoskeletal pain globally. In this short communication, we continue to expand the growing field of environmental physiotherapy by tracing NSAIDs journey through aquatic ecosystems, and the potential of physiotherapy to mitigate these negative environmental impacts and so contribute to achieving a range of UN Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the aspirations of One Health. Through metabolic excretion into waterways, NSAIDs negatively impact the health and survival of various aquatic lifeforms, which, in turn, has consequences for human health. By reducing and delaying the need for pharmacotherapy for mild to moderate musculoskeletal pain, physiotherapy presents an important sustainable healthcare solution. Beyond this, however, the ecological persistence of NSAIDs also underscores the need for transformative change in healthcare and physiotherapy, towards the full recognition of the interconnected nature of human, animal, and ecosystems health and the complex questions and responsibilities this raises. For this, we need to increase our understanding of the entangled nature of health and its negotiation with human and non-human others and develop approaches to include them in our thinking, pursuit, and practice of health and care. © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Hydrolysates from high-protein coproducts are rich in bioactive peptides (small amino acid chains with properties beyond their nutritional value). When included in aquafeeds, they may promote fish robustness while increasing animal blood value and minimizing waste, contributing to a circular economy. This work assessed how innovatively produced blood hydrolysates (BH) included in plant-based diets for European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) affected growth performance and resistance to Tenacibaculum maritimum infection. Three fractions of swine BH obtained by autohydrolysis (AH) or enzymatically were selected. AH fraction was oven-dried, whilst the enzymatically obtained BH were further submitted to a micro (RMF) and nanofiltration (RNF) and the respective retentates freeze-dried. A commercially based diet was formulated, where 50% of fishmeal was replaced by vegetable proteins, and used as negative control (NC). Each BH fraction was then added at 3% to the NC and further compared to a fishmeal-based diet (positive control, PC); all diets remained isolipidic and isoproteic. Diets were assigned to triplicate groups of European seabass juveniles (12.3 ± 1.4 g) and fed three times daily until apparent satiation in a recirculating saltwater system. After a 12-week growth trial, fish were bath challenged with T. maritimum and cumulative mortality followed for 8 days. A digestibility trial was also performed in parallel. Hydrolysates-containing diets had a significantly lower apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) of dry matter compared to the PC, but RNF did not differ from the NC. RMF and AH had lower lipid ADCs than both controls, while the RNF only differed from the PC. Mineral ADCs of PC, NC and RNF were similar. Calcium ADC in RMF and AH was significantly lower than all other diets; RMF also displayed lower copper and potassium ADCs. Fish fed PC had the highest final weight, followed by NC and RNF. Daily growth index and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of RNF was similar to both controls. RMF induced the lowest final weight, highest FCR and reduced villus length in anterior intestine. This diet has also resulted in increased plasmatic peroxidase, but lower lysozyme, compared to all other treatments, showing the lowest disease resistance. Results clearly show that the RNF was the only test diet that significantly reduced European seabass mortality after T. maritimum infection, without affecting fish growth in relation to a practical plant-protein based diet, highlighting its high potential for aquafeeds supplementation. © 2022
In human beings, there are five reported variants of concern of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, in contrast to human beings, descriptions of infections of animals with specific variants are still rare. The aim of this study is to systematically investigate SARS-CoV-2 infections in companion animals in close contact with SARS-CoV-2-positive owners (“COVID-19 households”) with a focus on the Delta variant. Samples, obtained from companion animals and their owners were analyzed using a real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Animals were also tested for antibodies and neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2. Eleven cats and three dogs in nine COVID-19-positive households were RT-qPCR and/or serologically positive for the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. For seven animals, the genetic sequence could be determined. The animals were infected by one of the pangolin lineages B.1.617.2, AY.4, AY.43 and AY.129 and between zero and three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected between the viral genomes of animals and their owners, indicating within-household transmission between animal and owner and in multi-pet households also between the animals. NGS data identified SNPs that occur at a higher frequency in the viral sequences of companion animals than in viral sequences of humans, as well as SNPs, which were exclusively found in the animals investigated in the current study and not in their owners. In conclusion, our study is the first to describe the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant transmission to animals in Switzerland and provides the first-ever description of Delta-variant pangolin lineages AY.129 and AY.4 in animals. Our results reinforce the need of a One Health approach in the monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in animals. © 2023 by the authors.
Microbiology’s ecological turn, as it shifts its gaze from the individual microbe to the entanglement and ubiquity of microbial life, is transforming conceptions of human nature and disease in the sciences and humanities. Both the fields of Christian theological anthropology and medical anthropology are tuning in to these microbiological shifts for their reformative possibilities. Meanwhile, practical resistance to these shifts in recent pandemic responses suggest that forces greater than just the “pure science” of microbiology are informing attachments to hyper-modern or Pasteurian epidemiologies and radically independent, buffered views of the self. This essay explores the roots of such resistance. It investigates the interplay of shifts in theological anthropology and disease theories. Cultural anthropology and critical studies offer accounts of epidemiology’s fraught relationship to a history of colonialism, racialization, and vilification of pathogens and pathogenicized humans. This essay adds a theological analysis of the historical entanglement of perspectives on disease and Christian doctrine, which bears on the present pandemic response. It illuminates the ways some Christians “benefit” from germ theory’s influence. Germ theory interrupts key Christian doctrine (especially theodicy) that makes Christian theology resistant to relational accounts of being human. Germ theory’s theological reshaping of Christian teaching may also encourage the current resistance to more relational pandemic responses known as One Health strategies. While reformative and more realistic possibilities of emergent and entangled multispecies accounts of humanity’s microbiality are ample and apt, they must account for the ways in which microbiology has never been epidemiological without also being colonial and theological. In other words, this essay explores the smallest and most reviled “animals” in relationship to Christian conceptions of sin, contagion, and evil as groundwork for engaging humanity’s micro-animality and diseases’ relational aspects. To conclude, I offer four modest suggestions. © 2022 by the author.
Understanding antibiotic prescription patterns and non-clinical factors influencing antibiotic use is essential for implementing strategies to promote appropriate antibiotic use. There is, however, limited research exploring these issues with Ecuadorian veterinarians. Therefore, a questionnaire was developed and applied cross-sectionally to veterinarians (n = 173) from two professional organizations to explore the antibiotic prescription patterns and non-clinical factors (e.g., attitudes and perceptions) influencing antibiotic use, and to identify strategies to reduce antibiotic use. The response rate was 78.4%. Responses were compared between veterinarians working mainly on cattle and poultry farms using Mann-Whitney U tests. The most important attitudes, beliefs and perceptions towards antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antibiotic use were identified with the Relative Importance Index (RII). Veterinarians showed high awareness of AMR and its implications for public health, as well as the necessity of reducing antibiotic use. However, some veterinarians appear to underestimate the potential contribution of veterinary antibiotic use on AMR in humans. Veterinarians self-reported high prescription (> 20%) of antibiotics for cattle and poultry that are critically important for human medicine, such as 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins, polymyxins and quinolones. Further, antibiotic therapy was not tailored to disease type. Cattle and poultry veterinarians perceived similar barriers to increasing antibiotic stewardship including: poor biosecurity measures, animal confinement, low feed quality, farmers’ behaviors (such as stopping antibiotic treatment, storing antibiotics on farms, buying antibiotics in veterinary supply stores), and sales agents’ roles as non-professional prescribers of antibiotics. Overall, veterinarians were broadly supportive (>90%) of most strategies to promote appropriate antibiotic use. They saw more merit in improving biosecurity of farms and implementing educational programs for farmers and veterinarians. This study provides insight into the complexity of antibiotic use on Ecuadorian farms and the need for holistic strategies in a One Health context, to achieve antibiotic stewardship. © 2023 The Authors
Endocrinopathies affect multiple species in ever-increasing percentages of their populations, creating an oppor-tunity to apply one-health approaches to determining creative preventative measures and therapies in athletes. Obesity and alterations in insulin and glucose dynamics are medical concerns that play a role in whole-body health and homeostasis in both horses and humans. The role and impact of endocrine disorders on the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems are of particular interest to the athlete. Elucidation of both physiologic and pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in disease processes, starting in utero, is important for development of prevention and treatment strategies for the health and well-being of all species. This review focuses on the unrec-ognized effects of endocrine disorders associated with the origins of metabolic disease; inflammation at the inter-section of endocrine disease and related diseases in the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems; novel interventions; and diagnostics that are informed via multiomic and one-health approaches. Readers interested in further details on specific equine performance conditions associated with endocrine disease are invited to read the companion Currents in One Health by Manfredi et al, JAVMA, February 2023. © 2023, American Veterinary Medical Association. All rights reserved.
Brucellosis is one of the most neglected zoonotic diseases in the world. It affects all age groups and both sexes. A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2019 to May 2020 to estimate the seroprevalence and assess the potential risk factors of brucellosis among dairy cow owners and dairy farmworkers, and assess their knowledge, attitudes, and practices in selected sites in the central highlands of Oromia, Ethiopia. A structured interview question was administered to 284 respondents, and only 166 of them volunteered to give a blood sample. Most respondents had limited knowledge of brucellosis (93.3%), zoonotic diseases transmitted by handling animal delivery (88%), and consuming raw milk and other animal products (90.0%). Accordingly, 149 blood samples from animal owners and 17 farmworkers were collected for serological testing. The serum samples collected were initially screened using the Rose Bengal Plate test, and the Complement Fixation test was used as a confirmatory test. The overall seroprevalence of zoonotic brucellosis was 1.2% (95%CI: 0.32–4.27). There was a statistically significant association of human brucellosis with human housing (OR = 1.8, p = 0.002), contact with aborted fetus (OR = 21.19, p = 0.017), drinking raw milk from non-aborted (OR = 24.99, p = 0.012), aborted (OR = 5.72, 0.019), and retained fetal membrane (OR = 4.22, p = 0.029) cows. In conclusion, the present study revealed that the seroprevalence of brucellosis in the study area was low. Public awareness among animal owners, farm and animal health workers on the transmission and health hazards of brucellosis needs to be addressed through community training. Implementing one health approach between veterinary and medical health professionals must be strengthened. © 2022 Public Library of Science. All rights reserved.
Zoonotic diseases have huge livestock and public health burden worldwide, including India. Prioritizing zoonotic diseases is one of the important tasks under ‘One Health’ as it facilitates effective policy making, proper allocation of resources and promotion of multisectoral collaboration. Although some efforts have been made to prioritizing zoonotic diseases at national level in India, it is important to identify priority diseases in regional settings due to wide variation in climate and demography of different states. Therefore, the present study aims to prioritize zoonotic diseases for the state of Haryana (India). One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization (OHZDP) tool was used in this study to prioritize zoonotic diseases. Based on literature review of the past 23 years (2000–2022) on prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of zoonotic diseases, twenty-three high-scoring zoonotic diseases in Haryana and neighboring states of India were initially shortlisted for prioritization. A three-day participatory workshop was conducted involving 17 experts representing the Health, Animal Husbandry and Wildlife departments of Haryana. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to rank the criteria, which were used to score the selected diseases using the decision tree analysis. The participants selected the following 7 criteria along with their relative weights to score the diseases: (1) Severity of disease in humans, (2) Severity of disease in animals, (3) Presence of disease in the region, (4) Transmission and outbreak potential, (5) Socio-economic impact, (6) Availability of interventions, and (7) Existing inter-sectoral collaboration for surveillance and reporting. The top scoring eight diseases selected as priority zoonotic diseases for Haryana were rabies, Japanese encephalitis, bovine tuberculosis, leptospirosis, avian influenza (H5N1), brucellosis, glanders and Influenza A (H1N1). Sensitivity analysis did not reveal any significant variation in prioritization results by varying criteria weights. This is the first systemic attempt to prioritize zoonotic diseases in the state and this will help in formulating effective monitoring, prevention, and control strategies for zoonotic diseases in the regional settings. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health concern that has been linked to humans, animals, and the environment. The One Health approach highlights the connection between humans, animals, and the environment and suggests that a multidisciplinary approached be used in studies investigating AMR. The present study was carried out to identify and characterize the antimicrobial resistance profiles of bacteria isolated from wildlife and livestock feces as well as from surface water samples in Maiella National Park, Italy. Ecological and georeferenced data were used to select two sampling locations, one where wildlife was caught within livestock grazing areas (sympatric group) and one where wildlife was caught outside of livestock grazing areas (non-sympatric group). Ninety-nine bacterial isolates from 132 feces samples and seven isolates from five water samples were collected between October and December 2019. The specimens were examined for species identification, antibiotic susceptibility and molecular detection of antibiotic resistance. Forty isolates were identified as Escherichia coli, forty-eight as Enterococcus spp., eight as Streptococcus spp. and ten as other gram-negative bacteria. Phenotypic antibiotic resistance to at least one antimicrobial agent, including some antibiotics that play a critical role in human medicine, was detected in 36/106 (33.9%, 95% CI: 25–43) isolates and multidrug resistance was detected in 9/106 isolates (8.49%, 95% CI: 3.9–15.5). In addition, genes associated with antibiotic resistance were identified in 61/106 (57.55%, 95% CI: 47.5–67) isolates. The samples from sympatric areas were 2.11 (95% CI: 1.2–3.5) times more likely to contain resistant bacterial isolates than the samples from non-sympatric areas. These data suggest that drug resistant bacteria may be transmitted in areas where wildlife and livestock cohabitate. This emphasizes the need for further investigations focusing on the interactions between humans, wildlife, and the environment, the results of which can aid in the early detection of emerging AMR profiles and possible transmission routes. © 2023 by the authors.
Background: Interactions between humans and animals are the key elements of zoonotic spillover leading to zoonotic disease emergence. Research to understand the high-risk behaviors associated with disease transmission at the human-animal interface is limited, and few consider regional and local contexts. Objective: This study employed an integrated behavioral–biological surveillance approach for the early detection of novel and known zoonotic viruses in potentially high-risk populations, in an effort to identify risk factors for spillover and to determine potential foci for risk-mitigation measures. Method: Participants were enrolled at two community-based sites (n = 472) in eastern and western Thailand and two hospital (clinical) sites (n = 206) in northeastern and central Thailand. A behavioral questionnaire was administered to understand participants’ demographics, living conditions, health history, and animal-contact behaviors and attitudes. Biological specimens were tested for coronaviruses, filoviruses, flaviviruses, influenza viruses, and paramyxoviruses using pan (consensus) RNA Virus assays. Results: Overall 61/678 (9%) of participants tested positive for the viral families screened which included influenza viruses (75%), paramyxoviruses (15%), human coronaviruses (3%), flaviviruses (3%), and enteroviruses (3%). The most salient predictors of reporting unusual symptoms (i.e., any illness or sickness that is not known or recognized in the community or diagnosed by medical providers) in the past year were having other household members who had unusual symptoms and being scratched or bitten by animals in the same year. Many participants reported raising and handling poultry (10.3% and 24.2%), swine (2%, 14.6%), and cattle (4.9%, 7.8%) and several participants also reported eating raw or undercooked meat of these animals (2.2%, 5.5%, 10.3% respectively). Twenty four participants (3.5%) reported handling bats or having bats in the house roof. Gender, age, and livelihood activities were shown to be significantly associated with participants’ interactions with animals. Participants’ knowledge of risks influenced their health-seeking behavior. Conclusion: The results suggest that there is a high level of interaction between humans, livestock, and wild animals in communities at sites we investigated in Thailand. This study highlights important differences among demographic and occupational risk factors as they relate to animal contact and zoonotic disease risk, which can be used by policymakers and local public health programs to build more effective surveillance strategies and behavior-focused interventions. © 2022, The Author(s).
The last two decades has witnessed a disruption of socio-economic, security and political foundation worldwide due to surging of health events arising at the ecosystem, animal and human interface. The unprecedent magnitude of these events has led to the adoption of One Health approach. Several theoretical definitions and an operational one were released to help common user to understand the approach. To provide evidence of the impact of implementing the One Health approach and to assess the process outputs, a definition of a One Health intervention is required. We are proposing a definition and characteristics of a One Health intervention which will complement the operational definition of the One Health approach by the One Health High-Level Expert Panel. © 2023 The Author(s)
Objectives: This study explores the interrelationship among the current sustainability agenda of the pharmaceutical industry, based on the United Nation sustainable development goals (SDGs), the elements of the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) tool, and the triad components of the One Health approach. Methods: A cross-walk exercise was conducted to identify commonalities among SDGs, JEE assessment tool, and One Health approach. An in-depth study of 10 global pharmaceutical firms’ corporate sustainability reports and COVID-19 response plan for 2019–2020 was also conducted. Results: The result of the exercise showed the existence of a direct and indirect relationship among the SDGs, elements of JEE assessment tool, and One Health approach. For example, both no poverty (SDG 1) and zero hunger (SDG 2) are linked with food safety targets under the JEE and with human and animal health under the One Health approach. Conclusion: This study adds a new dimension emphasizing the possibility of tailoring the pharmaceutical industry’s activities under the sustainability agenda to strengthen global health security while remaining consistent with the One Health approach. Copyright © 2022 Saxena, Balani and Srivastava.
Background: Anthrax is a zoonotic disease that causes frequent outbreaks in livestock and fatal human cases in Burkina Faso. Effective surveillance of this disease calls for the establishment of an integrated surveillance system, in line with the One Health concept. However, despite a strong technical and financial support from international partners, surveillance is still poorly conducted within an integrated approach. Based on stakeholder perspectives, the study has for objective to deepen our understanding of the anthrax surveillance system and to identify the obstacles and levers towards a more integrated approach to anthrax surveillance in Burkina Faso. Methods: The data was collected from a literature review and interviews with surveillance stakeholders. We first conducted a qualitative descriptive analysis of the data to characterize the surveillance system (programmes, actors, collaboration). In a second step, we conducted a thematic analysis of the informants’ discourse in order to identify what represents an obstacle or, conversely, a lever for a more integrated approach to anthrax surveillance. Results: The surveillance system of anthrax in Burkina Faso includes three programmes (in the livestock, wildlife and human sectors), which involves 30 actors. These sectoral programmes operate almost independently from one another, although some collaborations are existing for the governance and implementation of surveillance activities. Analysis of the discourse of key stakeholders led to the identification of four categories of factors that may influence the implementation of an integrated surveillance system in the country: knowledge; technical, organizational and social capacities; motivation; intersectoral governance. Conclusions: This study highlights the difficulty of translating One Health governance to the national level and the need to better articulate the visions of all categories of stakeholders. This study also reveals the need to develop specific evaluation systems for integrated policies in order to provide credible evidence of their added value for a better management of zoonotic diseases. Finally, our study underlines the need to act upstream the emergence of zoonoses and allocate more resources to the prevention of zoonoses than to their control. © 2022, The Author(s).
BACKGROUND: Zoonotic influenza surveillance in Myanmar is sparse, despite the risks of introduction of such viruses from neighboring countries that could impact the poultry industry and lead to spillover to humans. METHODS: In July and August 2019, our multi-institutional partnership conducted a One Health-oriented, cross-sectional surveillance (weekly for 3 weeks) for influenza A and influenza D viruses at the three largest live bird markets in Yangon, Myanmar. RESULTS: The 27 bioaerosols, 90 bird cage swabs, 90 bird oropharyngeals, and 90 human nasopharyngeal samples yielded molecular influenza A detections in 8 bioaerosols (30.0%), 16 bird cages (17.8%), 15 bird oropharyngeals (16.7%), and 1 human nasopharyngeal (1.1%) samples. No influenza D was detected. Seven of the influenza A virus detections were found to be subtype A/H9N2, and one human nasopharyngeal sample was found to be subtype A/H1pdm. Among all IAV-positive samples, three of the A/H9N2-positive samples yielded live viruses from egg culture and their whole genome sequences revealing they belonged to the G9/Y280 lineage of A/H9N2 viruses. Phylogenetic analyses showed that these A/H9N2 sequences clustered separately from A/H9N2 viruses that were previously detected in Myanmar, supporting the notion that A/H9N2 viruses similar to those seen in wider Southeast Asia may have been introduced to Myanmar on multiple occasions. CONCLUSIONS: These findings call for increased surveillance efforts in Myanmar to monitor for the introduction of novel influenza viruses in poultry, as well as possible reassortment and zoonotic virus transmission. © 2023 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Despite tea beneficial health effects, there is a substantial risk of tea contamination by harmful pathogens and mycotoxins. A total of 40 tea samples (17 green (raw) tea; 13 black (fermented) tea; 10 herbal infusions or white tea) were purchased from different markets located in Lisbon district during 2020. All products were directly available to consumers either in bulk (13) and or in individual packages (27). Bacterial analysis was performed by inoculating 150 μL of samples extracts in tryptic soy agar (TSA) supplemented with 0.2 % nystatin medium for mesophilic bacteria, and in Violet Red bile agar (VRBA) medium for coliforms (Gram-negative bacteria). Fungal research was performed by spreading 150 μL of samples in malt extract agar (MEA) supplemented with 0.05 % chloramphenicol and in dichloran-glycerol agar (DG18) media. The molecular detection of the Aspergillus sections Fumigati, Nidulantes, Circumdati and Flavi was carried out by Real Time PCR (qPCR). Detection of mycotoxins was performed using high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) with a mass spectrometry detector. Azole resistance screening was achieved following the EUCAST guidelines. The highest counts of total bacteria (TSA) were obtained in green raw tea (81.6 %), while for coliform counts (VRBA) were found in samples from black raw tea (96.2 %). The highest fungal counts were obtained in green raw tea (87.7 % MEA; 69.6 % DG18). Aspergillus sp. was the most prevalent genus in all samples on MEA (54.3 %) and on DG18 (56.2 %). In the raw tea 23 of the samples (57.5 %) presented contamination by one to five mycotoxins in the same sample. One Aspergillus section Fumigati isolate from green tea beverage recovered form itraconazole-Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) medium, presented itraconazole and posaconazole E-test MICs above MIC90 values. Our findings open further discussion regarding the One-Health approach and the necessary investment in researching biological hazards and azole-resistance associated with the production and consumption of tea (in particular green tea). © 2022 Household water contamination at point of use depends on human, animal and environmental factors embodying all aspects of a One Health approach. This study investigated the association between household factors, the presence of thermotolerant coliform, and the presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in drinking wat