One Health Publications

“…  Analysis of 410 species of birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals found that about 40% of those that are thought to be highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 are considered threatened or endangered. These include the Western lowland gorilla, Sumatran orangutan and Northern white-cheeked gibbon, which are predicted to be at very high risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2. Gray whales, bottlenose dolphins, white-tailed deer and Chinese hamsters are at high risk; cats, cows and sheep are at medium risk; and dogs, pigs and horses are at low risk.

This valuable contribution to our understanding of the potential threat of this virus to other species calls for One Health (onehealthinitiative.com) precautionary measures to minimize — and ideally prevent — infected humans from infecting other animals. Those animals, if infected, could then serve as reservoirs to reinfect people — or, if endangered, they could become extinct. …”

Abstract

Cloth masks have been used in healthcare and community settings to protect the wearer from respiratory infections. The use of cloth masks during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is under debate. The filtration effectiveness of cloth masks is generally lower than that of medical masks and respirators; however, cloth masks may provide some protection if well designed and used correctly. Multilayer cloth masks, designed to fit around the face and made of water-resistant fabric with a high number of threads and finer weave, may provide reasonable protection. Until a cloth mask design is proven to be equally effective as a medical or N95 mask, wearing cloth masks should not be mandated for healthcare workers. In community settings, however, cloth masks may be used to prevent community spread of infections by sick or asymptomatically infected persons, and the public should be educated about their correct use.

“… Our educational programs promote and facilitate collaborative activities and projects among the countries with an emphasis on improving One Health workforce capacity with cross-sectoral competencies to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to all hazards and emerging threats. Examples of our educational initiatives include the development of One Health core and technical competencies, curriculum development and strengthening, introducing innovative teaching methodologies such as One Health problem-based learning cases, building research capacity to provide an evidence-base for One Health advocacy, One Health student clubs, and scholarship and fellowship programs to support long-term capacity development. …”

An outstanding visionary One Health presentation …

*Dr. Gray, Professor, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke Infectious Diseases & Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, North Carolina (USA) and Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore. Formerly, Director, One Health Center of Excellence for Research & Training, Professor Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, and Infectious Diseases and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida (USA). Gray is a member of the One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono Team’s Advisory Board (Hon.) https://onehealthinitiative.com/advisory-board/ and was recently awarded an Honorary Diploma from the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society (AVES) http://www.avesociety.org/.

Abstract: Climate change has become a controversial topic in today’s media despite decades of warnings from climate scientists and has influenced human health significantly with the increasing prevalence of infectious pathogens and contribution to antimicrobial resistance. Elevated temperatures lead to rising sea and carbon dioxide levels, changing environments and interactions between humans and other species. These changes have led to the emergence and reemergence of infectious pathogens that have already developed significant antimicrobial resistance. Although these new infectious pathogens are alarming, we can still reduce the burden of infectious diseases in the era of climate change if we focus on One Health strategies. This approach aims at the simultaneous protection of humans, animals and environment from climate change and antimicrobial impacts. Once these relationships are better understood, these models can be created, but the support of our legislative and health system partnerships are critical to helping with strengthening education and awareness.

ABSTRACT

This commentary discusses the contributions that One Health (OH) principles can make in improving the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We highlight four areas where the application of OH has the potential to significantly improve the governance of infectious diseases in general, and of COVID-19 in particular. First, more integrated surveillance infrastructure and monitoring of the occurrence of infectious diseases in both humans and animals can facilitate the detection of new infectious agents sharing similar genotypes across species and the monitoring of the spatio-temporal spread of such infections. This knowledge can guide public and animal health officials in their response measures. Second, application of the OH approach can improve coordination and active collaboration among stakeholders representing apparently incompatible domains. Third, the OH approach highlights the need for an effective institutional landscape, facilitating adequate regulation of hotspots for transmission of infectious agents among animals and humans, such as live animal markets. And finally, OH thinking emphasizes the need for equitable solutions to infectious disease challenges, suggesting that policy response mechanisms and interventions need to be reflective of the disproportionate disease burdens borne by vulnerable and marginalized populations, or by persons providing health care and other essential services to those sick.

Collaborating across conservation and international development sectors to mitigate zoonotic disease transmission from wildlife to humans

 One Health promotes improved data sharing, communication, and cross-sectoral coordination among agencies to improve understanding of …

“… Public health professionals face increased pressure to understand and prevent zoonotic diseases. During the webinar, Jim Desmond, a wildlife veterinarian based in Liberia, presented the idea of One Health as an approach to treating all life and all health as interconnected. One Health promotes improved data sharing, communication, and cross-sectoral coordination among agencies to improve understanding of transmission pathways for disease between animals and humans to better inform control measures to prevent large scale outbreaks. Michael offered concrete suggestions for improved collaboration between the wildlife, forestry, security, customs, and health sectors, including expanded coordination through the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). At present, lack of such coordination, both at the local and global scale, is creating barriers to meaningful action on prevention of zoonotic disease outbreaks. Could the One Health approach provide a framework towards better collaboration?

“If we address the threats to wildlife, we would be addressing the risk of contact with wildlife at the local level and making sure there are less opportunities for zoonotic diseases to jump to human beings.” —Michael Balinga, biodiversity advisor for the WA-BiCC project

Countries like Vietnam and Liberia offer demonstrated success cases for One Health approaches in responding to and preventing zoonotic diseases at the national level. In Liberia, following the initial Ebola outbreak, a One Health platform was established to bring together government leaders responsible for forestry, environment, health, and agriculture, along with the National Public Health Institute and non-governmental organization to improve understanding of where these diseases come from. As a result, these entities now meet weekly to ensure if there is another zoonotic disease outbreak, they can quickly allocate resources and develop teams to investigate the issue. …”

So, you can imagine our surprise when Goop recently published a piece on One Health featuring an interview with animal and human health expert, …

“… The same vaccine could one day prove effective in humans, though trials are years and many millions of dollars away. “It’s a great candidate for human immunization,” said Dr. Tom Monath*, managing partner and chief scientific officer of Crozet BioPharma, which is working on the vaccine. “It’s hard to offer any promises, but it could take less than 10 years.”

*Note: Dr. Monath is a co-founder of the One Health Initiative Team and website.

“… My government and most importantly our people have recognized the need to better prepare to deal with viruses, bacteria, and parasites.  For us, a future epidemic might well come from a viral transfer from an animal, probably a bat, to an intermediary specie, and then cross over to humans.   As a result, some years ago we invited UN technical agencies, including WHO, FAO, UNEP, to help us understand  the challenges and prepare a strategy to deal with the interface of human, animal, and environmental health, often referred to as One Health [https://www.onehealthinitiative.com]. With their assistance  we developed a strategy which includes strengthening intersectoral coordination at national and district levels; enhancing  surveillance and risk analysis systems for prioritized zoonotic diseases; improving  the effectiveness of our communication tools and networks; strengthening coordinated joint field outbreak investigation and response; and investing in human, animal, and wildlife professionals. …”

One Health recognises that the health of humans, animals and our environment are all inter-connected. …

In recognition of each stakeholder’s mission and its contribution to the One Health concept, the task force articulates a clear mission: to bring professions, stakeholders and citizens together in multiple ways to share knowledge, find common ground, refine planning and policies and take actions to coordinate definitive gains in human, animal, plant and ecosystem health.

“Animal, human and environmental health leaders gather to explore insights and derive solutions using the One Health approach to responsible antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance. …”