scholarly journals Drivers of disease emergence and spread: Is wildlife to blame?

2014 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Kock
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Domestic Animals ◽  
Domestic Animal ◽  
Emerging Infections ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Wildlife Reservoirs ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Changing Demographics

The global focus on wildlife as a major contributor to emerging pathogens and infectious diseases (EIDs) in humans and domestic animals is not based on field, experimental or dedicated research, but mostly on limited surveys of literature, opinion and the assumption that biodiversity harbours pathogens. The perceived and direct impacts of wildlife, from being a reservoir of certain human and livestock pathogens and as a risk to health, are frequently overstated when compared to the Global burden of disease statistics available from WHO, OIE and FAO. However organisms that evolve in wildlife species can and do spill-over into human landscapes and humans and domestic animal population and, where these organisms adapt to surviving and spreading amongst livestock and humans, these emerging infections can have significant consequences. Drivers for the spill-over of pathogens or evolution of organisms from wildlife reservoirs to become pathogens of humans and domestic animals are varied but almost without exception poorly researched. The changing demographics, spatial distribution and movements, associated landscape modifications (especially agricultural) and behavioural changes involving human and domestic animal populations are probably the core drivers of the apparent increasing trend in emergence of new pathogens and infectious diseases over recent decades.

scholarly journals Challenges and Opportunities Developing Mathematical Models of Shared Pathogens of Domestic and Wild Animals

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Huyvaert ◽  
Robin Russell ◽  
Kelly Patyk ◽  
Meggan Craft ◽  
Paul Cross ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Models ◽  
Domestic Animals ◽  
Domestic Animal ◽  
Pathogen Transmission ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Transmission Pathways ◽  
And Control

Diseases that affect both wild and domestic animals can be particularly difficult to prevent, predict, mitigate, and control. Such multi-host diseases can have devastating economic impacts on domestic animal producers and can present significant challenges to wildlife populations, particularly for populations of conservation concern. Few mathematical models exist that capture the complexities of these multi-host pathogens, yet the development of such models would allow us to estimate and compare the potential effectiveness of management actions for mitigating or suppressing disease in wildlife and/or livestock host populations. We conducted a workshop in March 2014 to identify the challenges associated with developing models of pathogen transmission across the wildlife-livestock interface. The development of mathematical models of pathogen transmission at this interface is hampered by the difficulties associated with describing the host-pathogen systems, including: (1) the identity of wildlife hosts, their distributions, and movement patterns; (2) the pathogen transmission pathways between wildlife and domestic animals; (3) the effects of the disease and concomitant mitigation efforts on wild and domestic animal populations; and (4) barriers to communication between sectors. To promote the development of mathematical models of transmission at this interface, we recommend further integration of modern quantitative techniques and improvement of communication among wildlife biologists, mathematical modelers, veterinary medicine professionals, producers, and other stakeholders concerned with the consequences of pathogen transmission at this important, yet poorly understood, interface.

Antibodies to snowshoe hare virus of the California group in the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) and domestic animal populations of Prince Edward Island

1981 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1224-1227 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. L. McFarlane ◽  
J. E. Embree ◽  
J. A. Embil ◽  
H. Artsob ◽  
J. B. Weste ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hemagglutination Inhibition ◽  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
Domestic Animals ◽  
Domestic Animal ◽  
Lepus Americanus ◽  
Virus Neutralization ◽  
Snowshoe Hare ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Inhibition Antibody

This study, the first of arbovirus activity in Prince Edward Island, has shown antibodies to the snowshoe hare strain of the California encephalitis group virus to be present in sera of wild and domestic animals; 15.35% of snowshoe hare, 20% of equine, and 2.5% of bovine sera were positive for hemagglutination inhibition antibody, confirmed by virus neutralization procedures.

scholarly journals Mycobacterium bovis: A Model Pathogen at the Interface of Livestock, Wildlife, and Humans

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitchell V. Palmer ◽  
Tyler C. Thacker ◽  
W. Ray Waters ◽  
Christian Gortázar ◽  
Leigh A. L. Corner
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Bovis ◽  
Domestic Animals ◽  
Brushtail Possum ◽  
Dynamic Interactions ◽  
New Host ◽  
Wildlife Reservoirs ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Political Interests ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Free Ranging

Complex and dynamic interactions involving domestic animals, wildlife, and humans create environments favorable to the emergence of new diseases, or reemergence of diseases in new host species. Today, reservoirs ofMycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of tuberculosis in animals, and sometimes humans, exist in a range of countries and wild animal populations. Free-ranging populations of white-tailed deer in the US, brushtail possum in New Zealand, badger in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, and wild boar in Spain exemplify established reservoirs ofM. bovis. Establishment of these reservoirs is the result of factors such as spillover from livestock, translocation of wildlife, supplemental feeding of wildlife, and wildlife population densities beyond normal habitat carrying capacities. As many countries attempt to eradicateM. bovisfrom livestock, efforts are impeded by spillback from wildlife reservoirs. It will not be possible to eradicate this important zoonosis from livestock unless transmission between wildlife and domestic animals is halted. Such an endeavor will require a collaborative effort between agricultural, wildlife, environmental, and political interests.

scholarly journals The Vietnam Initiative on Zoonotic Infections (VIZIONS): A Strategic Approach to Studying Emerging Zoonotic Infectious Diseases

EcoHealth ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 726-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maia A. Rabaa ◽  
Ngo Tri Tue ◽  
Tran My Phuc ◽  
Juan Carrique-Mas ◽  
Karen Saylors ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Major Step ◽  
Zoonotic Infections ◽  
Animal Populations

Abstract The effect of newly emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases of zoonotic origin in human populations can be potentially catastrophic, and large-scale investigations of such diseases are highly challenging. The monitoring of emergence events is subject to ascertainment bias, whether at the level of species discovery, emerging disease events, or disease outbreaks in human populations. Disease surveillance is generally performed post hoc, driven by a response to recent events and by the availability of detection and identification technologies. Additionally, the inventory of pathogens that exist in mammalian and other reservoirs is incomplete, and identifying those with the potential to cause disease in humans is rarely possible in advance. A major step in understanding the burden and diversity of zoonotic infections, the local behavioral and demographic risks of infection, and the risk of emergence of these pathogens in human populations is to establish surveillance networks in populations that maintain regular contact with diverse animal populations, and to simultaneously characterize pathogen diversity in human and animal populations. Vietnam has been an epicenter of disease emergence over the last decade, and practices at the human/animal interface may facilitate the likelihood of spillover of zoonotic pathogens into humans. To tackle the scientific issues surrounding the origins and emergence of zoonotic infections in Vietnam, we have established The Vietnam Initiative on Zoonotic Infections (VIZIONS). This countrywide project, in which several international institutions collaborate with Vietnamese organizations, is combining clinical data, epidemiology, high-throughput sequencing, and social sciences to address relevant one-health questions. Here, we describe the primary aims of the project, the infrastructure established to address our scientific questions, and the current status of the project. Our principal objective is to develop an integrated approach to the surveillance of pathogens circulating in both human and animal populations and assess how frequently they are exchanged. This infrastructure will facilitate systematic investigations of pathogen ecology and evolution, enhance understanding of viral cross-species transmission events, and identify relevant risk factors and drivers of zoonotic disease emergence.

Infectious Diseases of Domestic Animals

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-251
Author(s):  
Hiroomi Akashi
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Foot And Mouth Disease ◽  
Domestic Animals ◽  
Domestic Animal ◽  
Mouth Disease ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
History Of

The outbreak of Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Miyazaki Prefecture in 2010 has turned out to be the most striking disaster in the history of animal hygiene in Japan, from the points such as the number of the animals culled and buried or the human resources required until the time of termination. Inquiry committees for FMD countermeasures established by Miyazaki Prefecture and by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries have pointed out the various issues in disease control measures taken during the period starting from the outbreak till the termination. As a result, amendments were made to the Act on Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control in April of 2011, and in October, to the Standards of Rearing Hygiene Management. The outbreak of Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Miyazaki Prefecture in 2010 has turned out to be the most striking disaster in the history of animal hygiene in Japan, from the points such as the number of the animals culled and buried or the human resources required until the time of termination. Inquiry committees for FMD countermeasures established by Miyazaki Prefecture and by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries have pointed out the various issues in disease control measures taken during the period starting from the outbreak till the termination. As a result, amendments were made to the Act on Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control in April of 2011, and in October, to the Standards of Rearing Hygiene Management. Diseases that cause damage to domestic animals including FMD are presented in this special issue. I hope that this special issue will contribute to the betterment of animal hygiene and furthermore to the enhancement of dietary life. Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the authors and reviewers for their great contributions to this issue.

Will the damage be done before we feel the heat? Infectious disease emergence and human response

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-132
Author(s):  
R. A. Kock
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Domestic Animal ◽  
Economic Systems ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Ecological Changes ◽  
Consumption Rates ◽  
Current Resource ◽  
Disease Impact ◽  
Open Markets

AbstractThe global political economy is facing extreme challenges against a backdrop of large-scale expansion of human and domestic animal populations and related impacts on the biosphere. Significant global socio-ecological changes have occurred in the period of a single lifetime, driven by increased technology and access to physical and biological resources through open markets and globalization. Current resource consumption rates are not sustainable and ecological tipping points are being reached and one of the indicators of these may be a changing balance between hosts and pathogens. A period of extraordinary progress in reducing infection risk and disease impact on humans and domestic animals in the 20th Century is reversing in the 21st, but not always and not everywhere. Drivers for this shift are discussed in terms of demographics, agroecology, biodiversity decline and loss of resilience in ecosystems, climate change and increasing interconnectedness between species globally. Causality of disease emergence remains highly speculative, but patterns and data are emerging to commend a precautionary approach, while reassessing our global political, social and economic systems.

scholarly journals Protective population behavior change in outbreaks of emerging infectious disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evans K. Lodge ◽  
Annakate M. Schatz ◽  
John M. Drake
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Change ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Emerging Infections ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Susceptible Population ◽  
Zoonotic Infections ◽  
Zoonotic Viruses ◽  
And Behavior

Abstract Background During outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging infections, the lack of effective drugs and vaccines increases reliance on non-pharmacologic public health interventions and behavior change to limit human-to-human transmission. Interventions that increase the speed with which infected individuals remove themselves from the susceptible population are paramount, particularly isolation and hospitalization. Ebola virus disease (EVD), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) are zoonotic viruses that have caused significant recent outbreaks with sustained human-to-human transmission. Methods This investigation quantified changing mean removal rates (MRR) and days from symptom onset to hospitalization (DSOH) of infected individuals from the population in seven different outbreaks of EVD, SARS, and MERS, to test for statistically significant differences in these metrics between outbreaks. Results We found that epidemic week and viral serial interval were correlated with the speed with which populations developed and maintained health behaviors in each outbreak. Conclusions These findings highlight intrinsic population-level changes in isolation rates in multiple epidemics of three zoonotic infections with established human-to-human transmission and significant morbidity and mortality. These data are particularly useful for disease modelers seeking to forecast the spread of emerging pathogens.

scholarly journals Host-Pathogen Adhesion as the Basis of Innovative Diagnostics for Emerging Pathogens

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1259
Author(s):  
Alex van Belkum ◽  
Carina Almeida ◽  
Benjamin Bardiaux ◽  
Sarah V. Barrass ◽  
Sarah J. Butcher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Receptor Binding ◽  
Pathogen Detection ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Emerging Pathogens ◽  
Emerging Viruses ◽  
Ligand Interaction ◽  
Novel Structure ◽  
Specificity And Sensitivity

Infectious diseases are an existential health threat, potentiated by emerging and re-emerging viruses and increasing bacterial antibiotic resistance. Targeted treatment of infectious diseases requires precision diagnostics, especially in cases where broad-range therapeutics such as antibiotics fail. There is thus an increasing need for new approaches to develop sensitive and specific in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests. Basic science and translational research are needed to identify key microbial molecules as diagnostic targets, to identify relevant host counterparts, and to use this knowledge in developing or improving IVD. In this regard, an overlooked feature is the capacity of pathogens to adhere specifically to host cells and tissues. The molecular entities relevant for pathogen–surface interaction are the so-called adhesins. Adhesins vary from protein compounds to (poly-)saccharides or lipid structures that interact with eukaryotic host cell matrix molecules and receptors. Such interactions co-define the specificity and sensitivity of a diagnostic test. Currently, adhesin-receptor binding is typically used in the pre-analytical phase of IVD tests, focusing on pathogen enrichment. Further exploration of adhesin–ligand interaction, supported by present high-throughput “omics” technologies, might stimulate a new generation of broadly applicable pathogen detection and characterization tools. This review describes recent results of novel structure-defining technologies allowing for detailed molecular analysis of adhesins, their receptors and complexes. Since the host ligands evolve slowly, the corresponding adhesin interaction is under selective pressure to maintain a constant receptor binding domain. IVD should exploit such conserved binding sites and, in particular, use the human ligand to enrich the pathogen. We provide an inventory of methods based on adhesion factors and pathogen attachment mechanisms, which can also be of relevance to currently emerging pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19.

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