scholarly journals Medical Geology and Health: An Approach to Address Diseases Related to Natural Environment-Reviewing the Ghanaian Situation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel ARHIN ◽  
Raymond Kazapoe ◽  
Abu Mahamuda
Keyword(s):  
Natural Environment ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Medical Geology ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Geological Process ◽  
Sulphide Minerals ◽  
Potentially Harmful Elements ◽  
Geological Processes ◽  
Developed Nations

Inadequate data linking geology and health in Developing Countries contributes immensely to the challenges to identify sources and causes of many of the emerging diseases. Deficiencies and toxicities of trace elements generally impact human and animal health. The review of the geology of Ghana suggests the presence of oxides and sulphide minerals that are released into the natural environment during the geological process of weathering which introduce both essential and, potentially harmful elements. Of great concern is the fact that majority of the Ghanaian population eat locally cultivated food and expect to be nourished from the diet. Furthermore, archived reports on Ghana rural drinking water indicates most of the aquifers are enriched in As and F while deficient in Mg. Medical geology, the emerging discipline that attempts to address the environmental health issues emanating from geological processes is known in developed nations but not much of its activities are recognized in Ghana. This review has identified the concentrations of a number of elements in different geological settings and have linked these concentrations with health issues. There is therefore a need for medical geologists to work together with other disciplines to devise preventive as well as mitigative techniques in addressing many geology related health issues in Ghana.

The Natural Environment and Health in Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Hassell ◽  
Salome A. Bukachi ◽  
Dishon M. Muloi ◽  
Emi Takahashi ◽  
Lydia Franklinos
Keyword(s):  
Natural Environment ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
African Continent ◽  
Economic Prosperity ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Human Interactions ◽  
Environment And Health

Much of recent human development has come at the expense of Nature - undermining ecosystems, fragmenting habitats, reducing biodiversity, and increasing our exposure and vulnerability to emerging diseases. For example, as we push deeper into tropical forests, and convert more land to agriculture and human settlements, the rate at which people encounter new pathogens that may trigger the next public health, social and economic crisis, is likely to increase. Expanding and strengthening our understanding of the links between nature and human health is especially important in Africa, where nature brings economic prosperity and wellbeing to more than a billion people. Pandemics such as COVID are just one of a growing number of health challenges that humanity is facing as a result of our one-sided and frequently destructive relationship with nature. This report aims to inform professionals and decision-makers on how health outcomes emerge from human interactions with the natural world and identify how efforts to preserve the natural environment and sustainably manage natural resources could have an impact on human and animal health. While the report focuses on the African continent, it will also be of relevance to other areas of the world facing similar environmental pressures.

Environmental Development Strategies for an Industrial Area (Kochi Industrial Belt)

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annu Reetha Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Natural Environment ◽  
Industrial Pollution ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Industrial Area ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Economic Progress ◽  
Planning Approach ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Technical Solutions

Discharging of wastes and toxic pollutants produced by the industrial activities into the natural environment which consist of air, water and land implies the term Industrial Pollution. It has serious consequences on human life and its health along with several ways of negative impacts on the environment and nature. As far as our nation is concerned most of the major cities are filled with these large-scale industries which place a crucial role financial development of a country. Strictly hindering the development of industries cannot be done as it is vital for the Socio-Economic progress of a country. Yet it is our duty to protect our natural environment by limiting the pollution due to industries. This Study consist of the issues occurred in Eloor- Kadungalloor region as result of the industrial pollution followed by policies for a development plan to enhance the natural and environmental conditions with a planning approach at micro study level. As far as the Kerala context is considered, the major spot which is mostly affected by the industrial pollution is the ‘Edayar Industrial belt’ which is the largest industrial belt in Kerala. This became one of most noted spot because of the continuous dumping of dangerous chemical pollutants from adjacent industries (pesticide and fertilizer manufacturing). It has also resulted in health issues for the inhabitants of the site. Though many complaints have been filed against the companies, there has no proper laws or schemes for taking measures for reduction of pollution have come up so far. Hence this paper deals with the application of technical solutions and strategies for an Environment Improvement plan development for an industrial as well as studying on the issues of sire and its inhabitants.

scholarly journals Climate Change and Zoonoses: A Review of Concepts, Definitions, and Bibliometrics

2022 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 893
Author(s):  
Walter Leal Filho ◽  
Linda Ternova ◽  
Sanika Arun Parasnis ◽  
Marina Kovaleva ◽  
Gustavo J. Nagy
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Disease Ecology ◽  
One Health ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Zoonotic Diseases ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Author Keywords ◽  
The Uk

Climate change can have a complex impact that also influences human and animal health. For example, climate change alters the conditions for pathogens and vectors of zoonotic diseases. Signs of this are the increasing spread of the West Nile and Usutu viruses and the establishment of new vector species, such as specific mosquito and tick species, in Europe and other parts of the world. With these changes come new challenges for maintaining human and animal health. This paper reports on an analysis of the literature focused on a bibliometric analysis of the Scopus database and VOSviewer software for creating visualization maps which identifies the zoonotic health risks for humans and animals caused by climate change. The sources retained for the analysis totaled 428 and different thresholds (N) were established for each item varying from N 5 to 10. The main findings are as follows: First, published documents increased in 2009–2015 peaking in 2020. Second, the primary sources have changed since 2018, partly attributable to the increase in human health concerns due to human-to-human transmission. Third, the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, Italy, and Germany perform most zoonosis research. For instance, sixty documents and only 17 countries analyzed for co-authorship analysis met the threshold led by the USA; the top four author keywords were “climate change”, “zoonosis”, “epidemiology”, and “one health;” the USA, the UK, Germany, and Spain led the link strength (inter-collaboration); the author keywords showed that 37 out of the 1023 keywords met the threshold, and the authors’ keyword’s largest node of the bibliometric map contains the following: infectious diseases, emerging diseases, disease ecology, one health, surveillance, transmission, and wildlife. Finally, zoonotic diseases, which were documented in the literature in the past, have evolved, especially during the years 2010–2015, as evidenced by the sharp augmentation of publications addressing ad-hoc events and peaking in 2020 with the COVID-19 outbreak.

One Health and Parasites

2019 ◽  
pp. 82-112
Author(s):  
Said Sajjad Ali Shah ◽  
Adnan Khan
Keyword(s):  
One Health ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Food Borne ◽  
Contaminated Food ◽  
Parasitic Zoonoses ◽  
Public Health Workers ◽  
Etiological Agents ◽  
Water Borne

One health is a collective term used to address human and animal health issues under one platform. More than half of the diseases of humans are directly or indirectly related to animal health and spread from animals to humans or vice versa. Etiological agents of zoonotic diseases may be bacterial, viral, or parasitic in origin. Among them, parasitic agents are very important because they are either directly involved as etiological agents or as vectors of other pathogenic organisms. Parasitic zoonoses are transmitted to humans through vectors, food, or drinking water, and thus categorized as vector borne, food borne, and water borne parasitic zoonoses. Food borne and water borne parasitic zoonoses include all those parasitic diseases which are transmitted to humans by consuming contaminated food and water. An extensive alliance is necessary amongst physicians, veterinarians, and public health workers for timely response and approach to guarantee the prevention and management of infections.

Quantifying the contribution of livestock health issues to the environmental impact of their production systems

2021 ◽  
pp. 81-114
Author(s):  
Stephen G. Mackenzie ◽  
◽  
Ilias Kyriazakis ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Livestock Health ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Livestock Systems

The focus of this chapter is on the environmental impact consequences of endemic livestock health challenges that lead to deterioration in animal health, and on the potential impacts arising from their mitigations. The first part of the chapter concentrates on the potential of animal health to affect the environmental impact of livestock systems. Subsequently, it reviews the literature to date which has quantified the impact of health challenges for the environmental impacts of livestock systems. The potential of successful health interventions to mitigate negative environmental impacts represents a point of synergy between concerns around environmental sustainability and animal welfare, both of which represent 'hot topics' in the discourse surrounding the livestock industry and its sustainability. The challenges associated with modelling health interventions and their potential to mitigate environmental impacts constitute the last section in the chapter.

Physical and Mental Health Issues of Elderly Women in India

2021 ◽  
pp. 376-392
Author(s):  
Sameen Rafi
Keyword(s):  
Elderly Women ◽  
Aging Population ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Psychological Problem ◽  
Developing Nations ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Medical Institutions ◽  
Developed Nations ◽  
Women In India

In the 21st century, the aging population is one of the triumphs of humankind. The aging population is now conquering not only developed nations but developing nations too. The inclusion of challenges and problems of the elderly has now been increased, especially for elderly women. It is high time to focus on this vulnerable section, which has been ignored for an extended time. Despite such development of technology, medicines, facilities, and modernization, this weaker section still lay back. Their health and mental status depend on the overall level of care given by their family members and society. Elderly women are facing more health problems than men. Most of them are suffering from chronic diseases. Loneliness is a common psychological problem among all women. The preponderance of widows over widowers among the elderly is a grave issue. Very few of them are taking medical care from medical and non-medical institutions. This chapter explores the physical and mental challenges of elderly women in India.

Advances in Microbiome Research for Animal Health

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel S. Peixoto ◽  
Derek M. Harkins ◽  
Karen E. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Toxic Compounds ◽  
Symbiotic Interactions ◽  
Microbiome Research ◽  
And Behavior

Host-associated microbiomes contribute in many ways to the homeostasis of the metaorganism. The microbiome's contributions range from helping to provide nutrition and aiding growth, development, and behavior to protecting against pathogens and toxic compounds. Here we summarize the current knowledge of the diversity and importance of the microbiome to animals, using representative examples of wild and domesticated species. We demonstrate how the beneficial ecological roles of animal-associated microbiomes can be generally grouped into well-defined main categories and how microbe-based alternative treatments can be applied to mitigate problems for both economic and conservation purposes and to provide crucial knowledge about host–microbiota symbiotic interactions. We suggest a Customized Combination of Microbial-Based Therapies to promote animal health and contribute to the practice of sustainable husbandry. We also discuss the ecological connections and threats associated with animal biodiversity loss, microorganism extinction, and emerging diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Animal Biosciences, Volume 9 is February 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Transmittable diseases: the lessons from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)

1993 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 19-29
Author(s):  
R. Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Disease Notification ◽  
Clinical Appearance ◽  
Source Of Infection ◽  
The Republic

AbstractBSE was first discovered in November 1986 and by July 1991 about 60 000 cases had been confirmed in Great Britain with a low incidence being reported in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Switzerland and France. The origin of the extended common source epidemic appears to have been food containing meat and bone meal which contained the causal agent. Recycling of infected cattle waste was significant in increasing exposure, at least from the time of the first unrecognized clinical appearance of the disease in 1985. Small numbers of five species of Bovidae in British zoos, domestic cats, a puma and a cheetah have also succumbed to a newly described spongiform encephalopathy. It is anticipated that as a result of the imposition of a ruminant food ban in countries affected by BSE new infections from food have ceased and the incidence of BSE will fall to zero provided there is no other source of infection. Effective controls are in place in Great Britain and Northern Ireland to protect animal and public health. These include disease notification, compulsory slaughter of suspect animals and incineration of the carcasses, a ban on the feeding of specified bovine offals from cattle over 6 months of age or protein derived from them to man, or any species of animal or bird, and a ban on the feeding of ruminant protein to ruminant animals. Genetic studies are still in progress but there is no epidemiological evidence supporting breed predisposition and bovine PrP gene polymorphisms have not been linked with disease occurrence. The lessons from BSE include: the need to retain an animal health surveillance system to detect new and emerging diseases; a strong veterinary research base in unconventional agent disease; and a powerful epidemiology discipline with access to computerized data recording systems, analytical and modelling expertise. Major changes to the composition or processing of animal food, particularly that derived from sources which are not natural for the consuming species, should be carefully monitored for safety before being permitted.

scholarly journals Emerging diseases in Chiroptera: why bats?

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 438-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gudrun Wibbelt ◽  
Marianne S. Moore ◽  
Tony Schountz ◽  
Christian C. Voigt
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Human Health ◽  
North American ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Viral Diseases ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Associated Diseases ◽  
White Nose Syndrome ◽  
First Time

A conference entitled ‘2nd International Berlin Bat Meeting: Bat Biology and Infectious Diseases’ was held between the 19 and 21 of February 2010 in Berlin, Germany. Researchers from two major disciplines, bat biologists and disease specialists, met for the first time in an interdisciplinary event to share their knowledge about bat-associated diseases. The focus of the meeting was to understand why in particular bats are the hosts of so many of the most virulent diseases globally. During several sessions, key note speakers and participants discussed infectious diseases associated with bats, including viral diseases caused by Henipa-, Filo-, Corona- and Lyssaviruses, the spread of white-nose syndrome in North American bats, bat immunology/immunogenetics, bat parasites, and finally, conservation and human health issues.

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