scholarly journals Need for preventive and control measures for Lassa fever through the One Health strategic approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-194
Author(s):  
Idris Nasir Abdullahi ◽  
Abubakar Umar Anka ◽  
Peter Elisha Ghamba ◽  
Nkechi Blessing Onukegbe ◽  
Dele Ohinoyi Amadu ◽  
...  

Lassa virus (LASV) has increasingly been recognised as a significant public-health pathogen transmitted by rodents. LASV infection leads to life-threatening Lassa fever, which has high potential for severe morbidity and mortality. There have been several scientific efforts to understand the genomics and ecological epidemiology of Lassa. However, very limited studies have focused on the short- and long-term impacts of environmental factors, human behaviours and rodent activities on LASV transmission dynamics and control. Recently, a very plausible and ideal way to address the Lassa epidemic has been considered through the One Health approach. The One Health system of intervention is capable of providing better and comprehensive information necessary to address the complex interplay between human, ecological, and environmental determinants of LASV transmission, persistence and re-emergence. Thus, the aim of this article was to review critically the impacts of various environmental factors on rodent infestations, LASV transmission and how human activities contribute to the persistence of Lassa with regard to exploring how they could be harnessed for better understanding of Lassa prevention and control through a concerted One Health approach.

Author(s):  
Liã Bárbara Arruda ◽  
Najmul Haider ◽  
Ayodeji Olayemi ◽  
David Simons ◽  
Deborah Ehichioya ◽  
...  

AbstractLassa fever (LF), a zoonotic illness, represents a public health burden in West African countries where the Lassa virus (LASV) circulates among rodents. Human exposure hinges significantly on LASV ecology, which is in turn shaped by various parameters such as weather seasonality and even virus and rodent-host genetics. Furthermore, human behaviour, despite playing a key role in the zoonotic nature of the disease, critically affects either the spread or control of human-to-human transmission. Previous estimations on LF burden date from the 80s and it is unclear how the population expansion and the improvement on diagnostics and surveillance methods have affected such predictions. Although recent data have contributed to the awareness of epidemics, the real impact of LF in West African communities will only be possible with the intensification of interdisciplinary efforts in research and public health approaches. This review discusses the causes and consequences of LF from a One Health perspective, and how the application of this concept can improve the surveillance and control of this disease in West Africa.


2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-115
Author(s):  
Milena Zivojinovic ◽  
Ivan Dobrosavljevic ◽  
Zoran Kulisic ◽  
Sonja Radojicic ◽  
Tamara Boskovic ◽  
...  

Background. Trichinellosis is zoonotic disease caused by parasites of the genus Trichinella, which have a cosmopolitan distribution. In the Balkan region, including Serbia, trichinellosis is endemic. Although trichinellosis shows a decreasing incidence in Serbia, this disease remains a serious problem for human health and animal husbandry. Scope and Approach. To prevent and control Trichinella spp. infections in domestic and sylvatic animals, risk analysis for these zoonotic parasites should be conducted. In Serbia, a limited number of Trichinella have been identified to the species level so far. An institutional, multi-sectoral surveillance system, supported by an adequate legal framework for the detection, surveillance, prevention, control and reporting of this infection in animals and humans, harmonised with the EU legislation, is a priority. Key Findings and Conclusions. One of the main goals of the Serbian veterinary and public health services should be progressive improvement of animal rearing practices, food safety, and hunters? and consumers? education through the ?One-health? approach.


Author(s):  
Andrew Linn ◽  
Anastasiya Bezborodova ◽  
Saida Radjabzade

AbstractThis article presents a practical project to develop a language policy for an English-Medium-Instruction university in Uzbekistan. Although the university is de facto English-only, it presents a complex language ecology, which in turn has led to confusion and disagreement about language use on campus. The project team investigated the experience, views and attitudes of over a thousand people, including faculty, students, administrative and maintenance staff, in order to arrive at a proposed policy which would serve the whole community, based on the principle of tolerance and pragmatism. After outlining the relevant language and educational context and setting out the methods and approach of the underpinning research project, the article goes on to present the key findings. One of the striking findings was an appetite for control and regulation of language behaviours. Language policies in Higher Education invariably fall down at the implementation stage because of a lack of will to follow through on their principles and their specific guidelines. Language policy in international business on the other hand is characterised by a control stage invariably lacking in language planning in education. Uzbekistan is a polity used to control measures following from policy implementation. The article concludes by suggesting that Higher Education in Central Asia may stand a better chance of seeing through language policies around English-Medium Instruction than, for example, in northern Europe, based on the tension between tolerance on the one hand and control on the other.


Author(s):  
Ahmad A. Smaili ◽  
Muhammad Sannah

Abstract A major hindrance to dynamics and control of flexible robot manipulators is the deficiency of its inherent damping. Damping enhancement, therefore, should result in lower vibration amplitudes, shorter settling times, and improvement of system stability. Since the bulk of robot vibrations is attributed to joint compliance, it is a prudent strategy to design joints with sufficient inherent damping. In this article, a method is proposed to estimate critical damping at each joint and identify the joint that should be targeted for design with sufficient built-in damping. The target joint identification process requires that a n-joint robot system is divided into n-subsystems. Subsystem i includes the compliance of joint i and the inertia of the succeeding links, joint mechanisms, and payload. An equivalent single degree of freedom torsional model is devised and the natural frequency and critical damping is evaluated for each subsystem. The estimated critical damping at the joints are used to determine the elastodynamic response of the entire robot system from a model that includes joint compliance, shear deformation, rotary inertia, and geometric stiffness. The response revealed the following conclusion: The joint of the manipulator that would result in lower amplitudes of vibrations and shorter settling times when designed with sufficient built-in damping is the one that renders a subsystem whose natural frequency is the lowest of all subsystems comprising the robot.


Parasitology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 144 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. V. HOLLAND

SUMMARYToxocara species infect a wide range of companion, domestic and wild animals as definitive and paratenic hosts, via multiple routes of transmission, producing long-lived tissue-inhabiting larvae and resistant eggs that can survive in the external environment. Therefore Toxocara and the disease it causes in humans, toxocariasis, represents an ideal aetiological agent for the development of the one health approach. However, despite increasing awareness of the public health significance of toxocariasis, gaps in our understanding of certain key aspects of the parasite's biology and epidemiology remain. These gaps hinder our ability to integrate research effort within the veterinary, medical and environmental disciplines. This review will highlight key deficits in our understanding of nine dimensions of Toxocara epidemiology and discuss a potential scenario to develop a more integrated, one health approach to improve our understanding of the prevention and control of this complex and cryptic zoonosis.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
A C Pérez de Diego ◽  
M Vigo ◽  
J Monsalve ◽  
A Escudero

After more than 30 years without any reported cases of rabies in terrestrial carnivores in mainland Spain, an imported case was detected in June 2013 in Toledo. Although the infected dog was moved across different locations and had contact with humans and dogs, the incident was controlled within a few days. An epidemiological investigation was performed and rabies-free status in terrestrial carnivores in mainland Spain was restored six months after the incident. Key to the successful management of this case were the previous vaccination of susceptible animals in the affected area before the case was detected, the collaboration of different authorities in decision making, and the application of control measures according to national and international regulations and to the One Health concept.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 150-157
Author(s):  
S.I. Ijoma ◽  
E.R. Agusi ◽  
V.I. Ifende ◽  
O.H. Osemeke ◽  
V.T. Columba

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has a devastating impact on the economy especially the poultry industry and it jeopardizes food security and public health. The disease which was first reported in Nigeria in 2006, re-occurred in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. Inspite of the efforts the federal government has put into eradicating Avian Influenza in the country, the re-occurrence of the disease points to challenges of control efforts by stakeholders. Biosecurity challenges confronting poultry farmers and live bird market operators were implicated in new outbreaks and spread of HPAI. A cross-sectional study was carried out by administering open ended questionnaires to poultry farmers and live bird marketers in 12 States that shared boundaries with States affected by HPAI in 2019. Using the thematic style of qualitative analysis and MS Excel 2016, data and information with common denominators and pattern were collated and grouped. The One Health approach was adopted for this study. This was achieved by evaluating the knowledge of the stakeholders on the spread of Avian Influenza (AI), the biosecurity challenges they faced, their recommended solutions and new preventive or control measures they were willing to implement in order to achieve biosecurity against AI outbreak. The live bird marketers' responses showed their major challenge to be poor commitment to implementing already known biosecurity rules (22%), followed by unavailability of funds (13%) and sanitation problems. The poultry farmers struggled with lack of funds for maintenance (32%), and lack of compliance to biosecurity by farm attendants (24%). Both groups jointly recommended alleviating strategies such as the improvement of stakeholder education, supportive financing and the strengthening of animal health legislations. These new insights would benefit the formulation and implementing effective probiosecurity strategies for the control of avian influenza. Keywords: Avian influenza, biosecurity, one health, poultry farms, Nigeria


Author(s):  
Gabrielle Laing ◽  
Marco Antonio Natal Vigilato ◽  
Sarah Cleaveland ◽  
S M Thumbi ◽  
Lucille Blumberg ◽  
...  

Abstract The forthcoming World Health Organization road map for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) 2021–2030 recognises the complexity surrounding control and elimination of these 20 diseases of poverty. It emphasises the need for a paradigm shift from disease-specific interventions to holistic cross-cutting approaches coordinating with adjacent disciplines. The One Health approach exemplifies this shift, extending beyond a conventional model of zoonotic disease control to consider the interactions of human and animal health systems within their shared environment and the wider social and economic context. This approach can also promote sustainability and resilience within these systems. To achieve the global ambition on NTD elimination and control, political will, along with contextualised innovative scientific strategies, is required.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu-Sheng Zhang ◽  
Emilia Vynnycky ◽  
Andre Charlett ◽  
Daniela De Angelis ◽  
Zhengji Chen ◽  
...  

AbstractCOVID-19 is reported to have been brought under control in China. To understand the COVID-19 outbreak in China and provide potential lessons for other parts of the world, in this study we apply a mathematical model with multiple datasets to estimate the transmissibility of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the severity of the illness associated with the infection, and how both were affected by unprecedented control measures. Our analyses show that before 19th January 2020, 3.5% (95% CI 1.7–8.3%) of  infected people were detected; this percentage increased to 36.6% (95% CI 26.1–55.4%) thereafter. The basic reproduction number (R0) was 2.33 (95% CI 1.96–3.69) before 8th February 2020; then the effective reproduction number dropped to 0.04(95% CI 0.01–0.10). This estimation also indicates that control measures taken since 23rd January 2020 affected the transmissibility about 2 weeks after they were introduced. The confirmed case fatality rate is estimated at 9.6% (95% CI 8.1–11.4%) before 15 February 2020, and then it reduced to 0.7% (95% CI 0.4–1.0%). This shows that SARS-CoV-2 virus is highly transmissible but may be less severe than SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV. We found that at the early stage, the majority of R0 comes from undetected infectious people. This implies that successful control in China was achieved through reducing the contact rates among people in the general population and increasing the rate of detection and quarantine of the infectious cases.


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