One Health Publications

“The World Health Organization defines a zoonosis as any infection naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans. The pandemic of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been classified as a zoonotic disease, however, no animal reservoir has yet been found, so this classification is premature. We propose that COVID-19 should instead be classified an “emerging infectious disease (EID) of probable animal origin.” To explore if COVID-19 infection fits our proposed re-categorization vs. the contemporary definitions of zoonoses, we reviewed current evidence of infection origin and transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2 virus and described this in the context of known zoonoses, EIDs and “spill-over” events. Although the initial one hundred COVID-19 patients were presumably exposed to the virus at a seafood Market in China, and despite the fact that 33 of 585 swab samples collected from surfaces and cages in the market tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, no virus was isolated directly from animals and no animal reservoir was detected. Elsewhere, SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in animals including domesticated cats, dogs, and ferrets, as well as captive-managed mink, lions, tigers, deer, and mice confirming zooanthroponosis. Other than circumstantial evidence of zoonotic cases in mink farms in the Netherlands, no cases of natural transmission from wild or domesticated animals have been confirmed. More than 40 million human COVID-19 infections reported appear to be exclusively through human-human transmission. SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 do not meet the WHO definition of zoonoses. We suggest SARS-CoV-2 should be re-classified as an EID of probable animal origin. …”

“…If we are all going to get ahead of future “Silent Epidemics”, it must be done with the active and sustained collaboration of veterinarians, physicians, environment specialists and other health scientists—in short, we all need a One Health approach, and now is the right time to make it happen.”

” … UNMC participates in Nebraska One Health, a University of Nebraska consortium which brings together people with diverse backgrounds, skills and perspectives to improve the health of humans, animals (wild and domestic) and plants.

David Brett-Major, MD, MPH, is the principal investigator for UNMC.

Dr. Brett-Major, an infectious diseases physician, clinical scientist and medical epidemiologist, said the Nebraska team will provide technical advice on emerging infectious diseases. Particular attention will be given to how animal and human health systems interact as well as provide guidance on managing high consequence disease events such as a pandemic-threat outbreak. …”

‘The greatest challenge in our path to building more equal, inclusive and sustainable economies and societies, underscored in Survival: One Health, One Planet, One Future, lies with making a fundamental paradigm or mindshift  from seeing the world through a strictly  human-centric lens to taking a wider more inclusive eco-centric view – ensuring the needs of humans are compatible with the needs of our ecosystems.’

By George Lueddeke PhD

Chair, International One Health for One Planet Education Initiative (1 HOPE)

See: The Principles and Practice of Q Fever: The One Health Paradigm – Nova Science Publishers (novapublishers.com)

“The viruses, both found in bats stored in laboratory freezers, are the first SARS-CoV-2 relatives to be found outside China.”

As the antimicrobial resistance crisis accelerates across the globe, world leaders are advocating for urgent action to combat the problem.

The leaders, including the heads of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and the World Health Organization (WHO), have now launched the new One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance, which aims to catalyse global attention and action to preserve antimicrobial medicines and help to avert the consequences of antimicrobial resistance.

Members of the new One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance include heads of government, government ministers, leaders from the private sector and civil society, and is co-chaired by their Excellencies Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, and Sheikh Hasina Wazed, Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

“… Unless future evidence suggests otherwise, it may be best to stay the course with current vaccine development programs with the goal of getting multiple technological platforms approved for use in humans. Then these platforms can be readily modified, akin to the annual influenza vaccine, to target emerging mutant viruses, if warranted.

Simultaneously, public health agencies with any interest in promoting human health should expand their visions to include the health and surveillance of domestic animals and wildlife at the point where human and veterinary medicine interface.

In the case of SARS-CoV-2, humans are currently the largest reservoir of the virus on Earth, and the threat of spillover from human hosts to farmed animals and wildlife species is now made evident. This is an opportune time to take stock in our relationships with animals and the natural world and take action to ensure health for all and this biosphere we share.”

WHO India’s representative, Roderico H Ofrin talks about the UN organisation’s role in the containing antimicrobial resistance or AMR in India. He talks about the challenges in implementing the One Health Action programme in India and the way forward.

Interview with Roderico H Ofrin, WHO Representative for India on AMR and One-health Action (downtoearth.org.in)

Published on Wednesday 18th November 2020

“ … The Minister acknowledged that all stakeholders have an important role in addressing this One Health issue, and as part of today’s launch he particularly wanted to thank the extensive work and collaboration between the Irish Farmers Association, Veterinary Ireland and Teagasc. …”

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What does ‘One Health’ mean?

The ‘One Health’ concept is a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of health care for humans, animals and the environment.  Recognising that human health, animal health and ecosystem health are inextricably linked, ‘One Health’ seeks to promote, improve and defend the health and well-being of all species by enhancing cooperation and collaboration between physicians, veterinarians, other scientific health and environmental professionals and by promoting strengths in leadership and management to achieve these goals.  [see https://www.archive.onehealthinitiative.com/mission.php]

“While still in the grips of a global pandemic, it has become painfully apparent that addressing the complex interactions of human, animal, and environmental health needs multilateral and national adoption of a fully integrated One Health approach …”

Nancy Chaney, RN, MS – Environmental Science– Past President, Association of Idaho Cities and Board member, National League of Cities, former mayor, City of Moscow Idaho (USA)

Please scroll down to read page 13 about Outstanding One Health advocate

IDAHO NURSING

Nov, Dec 2020, Jan 2021
Volume 43, • No. 3
Official peer reviewed publication of Idaho Alliance of Leaders in Nursing & Idaho Center for Nursing
Quarterly publication distributed to approximately 22,500 RNs and LPNs in Idaho.

“Simply put, we need a universally employed One Health approach in place now so we can more effectively deal with future health challenges, ones we will surely face, possibly next year or the next decade, whenever.”

“The Covid-19 crisis has reminded us of the links between health and the environment. On 12 November, during the third edition of the Paris Peace Forum, the Ministerial Meeting of the Alliance for Multilateralism inaugurated the One Health High-Level Expert Council. This Council aims to collect and disseminate reliable information on the links between human, animal and environmental health in the context of the erosion of biodiversity. The meeting was also an opportunity to present the report of the Forum on Information and Democracy’s working group on infodemics and to reaffirm the right to reliable information. …”

“In their Perspective “Rigorous wildlife disease surveillance” (10 July, p. 145), M. Watsa et al.underscore the value of One Health approaches to stimulate integration across currently siloed efforts in zoonotic research and mitigation. To achieve comprehensive decentralized pathogen surveillance, there is an urgent need to develop environmental and biodiversity infrastructure in biodiverse countries experiencing high rates of habitat conversion, wildlife trafficking, and human-wildlife interactions. …”

“… Close collaboration between animal and public health authorities is imperative to better identify and reduce the impact of this disease, OIE said. Furthermore, a global One Health approach is needed to understand risks for animal and human health as well as ecosystem health as a whole. …”