Open Access Review

Abstract: Coccidioidomycosis is an endemic fungal infection that is reported in up to 20,000 persons per year and has an economic impact close to $1.5 billion. Natural infection virtually always confers protection from future exposure, and this suggests that a preventative vaccine strategy is likely to succeed. We here review progress toward that objective. There has been ongoing research to discover a coccidioidal vaccine over the past seven decades, including one phase III clinical trial, but for reasons of either efficacy or feasibility, a safe and effective vaccine has not yet been developed. This review first summarizes the past research to develop a coccidioidal vaccine. It then details the evidence that supports a live, gene-deletion vaccine candidate as suitable for further development as both a veterinary and a human clinical product. Finally, a plausible vaccine development plan is described which would be applicable to this vaccine candidate and also useful to other future candidates. The public health and economic impact of coccidioidomycosis fully justifies a public private partnership for vaccine development, and the development of a vaccine for this orphan disease will likely require some degree of public funding.

One Health Happenings: Sharing news July / Early August 2022

Study International

One Health recognises that the health of people is connected to the health of animals and the environment. This has been evident throughout the …

WHO | World Health Organization

… priorities including comprehensive field investigations that follow a One Health approach, and clinical management and treatment approaches.

BACKGROUND:        New Jersey is the first state to formally establish through legislation a One Health task force to fight prevent, monitor and control zoonotic and environmental public health threats and disease transmission from animals to people.

On behalf of the President of the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society, Dr. Jack Shere, and our Board of Directors, please join me in congratulating our 2022 American Veterinary Epidemiology Society Award Recipients awarded yesterday [AUGUST 1, 2022] in Philadelphia [presented at the American Veterinary Medical Association Convention]

Gold Headed Cane Awards:

Dr. Corrie Brown

Dr. John Herbold

Early Career Achievement Awards:

Dr. (LCDR) Caitlin Cossaboom

Dr. (LCDR) Ilana Schafer

Honorary Diplomate Awards:

Dr. Andrew Bowman

Dr. (CAPT) Walter (Randolph) Daley

Dr. Amy Delgado

Dr. (RADM) David Goldman

Dr. Camila Hamond

Dr. Philip Kass

Dr. Andres Perez

Dr. Valerie Ragan

Dr. Rohini Roopnarine

Mr. Richard Seifman

Dr. (CAPT) Brianna Skinner

Dr. Amy Vincent Baker

Dr. (COL) Deborah Whitmer

Dr. Thomas Yuill

Dr. Cristobal Zepeda

A video of the ceremony is available on our *Facebook page at American Veterinary Epidemiology Society.

Thank you Hartz for being our sponsor since 1964.

John Poppe
AVES Executive Director
aves.exec@outlook.com
210-749-0714
American Veterinary Epidemiology Society (avesociety.org)
SEE: *www.facebook.com/embracingOneHealthsince1964

https://www.facebook.com/embracingOneHealthsince1964/videos/1640162836384305

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Religious communities have roles to play in One Health since it is an approach consistent with the teachings of most world faiths

by *Richard Seifman, JD, MBA   July 31, 2022

“Diseases and pandemics have meant the world shares a common nightmare. While science can offer some answers as to why and what to do, for many, the reaction to the disease brought them to turn to religion and look at one or another form of faith to find solace.

But in a wider sense, this is a two-way street: religions influence values and our actions. Connecting religious policies and influencers with the nexus between humans, animals, and the environment – One Health – would be powerful and consistent with the teachings of most of the world’s faiths.  …”

*Member One Health Initiative Team Advisory Board

Abstract

Understanding the circumstances that lead to pandemics is important for their prevention. Here, we analyze the genomic diversity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) early in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We show that SARS-CoV-2 genomic diversity before February 2020 likely comprised only two distinct viral lineages, denoted A and B. Phylodynamic rooting methods, coupled with epidemic simulations, reveal that these lineages were the result of at least two separate cross-species transmission events into humans. The first zoonotic transmission likely involved lineage B viruses around 18 November 2019 (23 October–8 December), while the separate introduction of lineage A likely occurred within weeks of this event. These findings indicate that it is unlikely that SARS-CoV-2 circulated widely in humans prior to November 2019 and define the narrow window between when SARS-CoV-2 first jumped into humans and when the first cases of COVID-19 were reported. As with other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 emergence likely resulted from multiple zoonotic events.

Abstract

Understanding how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in 2019 is critical to preventing zoonotic outbreaks before they become the next pandemic. The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China, was identified as a likely source of cases in early reports but later this conclusion became controversial. We show the earliest known COVID-19 cases from December 2019, including those without reported direct links, were geographically centered on this market. We report that live SARS-CoV-2 susceptible mammals were sold at the market in late 2019 and, within the market, SARS-CoV-2-positive environmental samples were spatially associated with vendors selling live mammals. While there is insufficient evidence to define upstream events, and exact circumstances remain obscure, our analyses indicate that the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 occurred via the live wildlife trade in China, and show that the Huanan market was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WHO mechanisms we have at global level are improved up to a point, but much remains to be done

“… The message is clear that possibilities of new infectious diseases may come from human incursions to natural habitats with opportunistic infections taking advantage of the denser environment. It argues for more proactive surveillance of wildlife, especially, at known possible hotspots, and a One Health approach.  …”

by *Richard Seifman, JD, MBA    July 23, 2022   in Health, Politics & Foreign Affairs

*Member One Health Initiative Advisory Board

Also see: RWICA – Rural Water Initiative for Climate Action – promoting environment conservation through a collaborative

ORF

Emerging infectious diseases and ‘One Health’ … between different sectors are key to the success of any One Health initiative in Africa.

One way to get it is for the United Nations to appoint a One Health Coordinator to guide policy and program change 

by *Richard Seifman, JD, MBA   July 18, 2022 in Health, Politics & Foreign Affairs

“Since the 1800s, scientists have noted the similarity in disease processes among animals and humans, but human and animal medicine were practiced separately until the 20th century. In recent years, with the support of key individuals and committed advocates such as the One Health Commission and One Health Initiative, the One Health concept has garnered more recognition in the public health and animal health communities and broadened to include the interface with the environment.

But much remains to be done to make One Health a guiding public health principle across the globe.  …”

*Member One Health Initiative team Advisory Board

A new One Health definition covers human, animal and eco-systems, but the latter is not part of the Joint External Evaluation (JEE)

By *Richard Seifman    July 12, 2022   in Health, Society

“There is good news in that, at the global level, there has been increased attention and deliberation about One Health and how to find common ground to operationalize it. As I will show here, expansion of the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) could solve the problem. A significant milestone was achieved when four international organizations, WHO, FAO, WOAH, and UNEP agreed on an operational definition. These four represent a broad range of disciplines in science and policy-related sectors.

The agreed definition is as follows:

One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems.

It recognizes the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and inter-dependent.

The approach mobilizes multiple sectors, disciplines and communities at varying levels of society to work together to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems, while addressing the collective need for clean water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, taking action on climate change, and contributing to sustainable development.  …”

*Member One Health Initiative Advisory Board