scholarly journals Tackling COVID-19 through the One Health Approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayodele Oluwaseun Ajayi ◽  
Olawale Peter Odeleye ◽  
Oluwabukola Atinuke Popoola

The Covid-19 pandemic is currently ravaging the globe with enormous morbidity and mortality. This pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 started from China and has spread across the globe. Initial reports indicated that the SARS-CoV-2 initially emerged among animals from where they transfer to humans. Different strategies deployed to curtail the pandemic have yielded little result. Therefore, the One-Health concept may compliment existing strategies. The One Health places emphasis on the between the animal-human-ecosystem interface and how this can be used to tackle public health problems, including the COVID-19 pandemic. One Health Surveillance will involve tracking viral pathogens in animals to access risk of transfer to humans. It will also stimulate targeted approaches for prevention and treatment of viral zoonotic infections. There should be an integrated and interdisciplinary One-Health surveillance that should incorporate veterinary, medical or public health and environmental scientists to synergise surveillance effort to track emergence of infectious diseases in the future.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Selbach ◽  
Maarten P. M. Vanhove ◽  
Kim Nørgaard Mouritsen

The One Health concept offers an integrative approach to disease and health at the human-animal-environment interface. It has often been suggested to view the COVID-19 outbreak within this framework to better understand and mitigate this global crisis. Here, we discuss how the evolutionary ecology of host-pathogen systems can add a valuable additional perspective to the debate around SARS-CoV-2 and its implications for public health awareness and policy-making. In this context, it is especially important to highlight that changes in nature, such as zoonotic spillover events, are often irreversible, and that humans, while deeply embedded in ecosystems, are intricate ecosystems themselves. A better recognition of the complex biology and evolution of human-parasite interactions will assist our understanding of such zoonoses.


2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-120
Author(s):  
Andrea Győrffy ◽  
Ákos Jozwiak

Public health belongs to the “One Health” umbrella. As military veterinary medicine evolved, it became embedded in national security. Many armed forces still have active veterinary services, both regular and reserve components. The military veterinarian can serve as an interface between civilians and civil organizations, can handle complex and interdisciplinary cases. Introducing the “One Health” concept both in practice and education has encountered many difficulties. Over time, “One Health” has been judged to be a “buzz word” in civilian areas; however, it is a weighty concept. Its importance is pronounced in military areas where practicing along One Health principles were present before the appearance of the term itself. Nevertheless, military “One Health” has not penetrated into the overwhelming “One Health” literature. Emphasizing the military aspects of One Health not only reveals an obscure corner but might help to regain the proper importance of the “One Health” concept.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2377
Author(s):  
Valentina Zappulli ◽  
Silvia Ferro ◽  
Federico Bonsembiante ◽  
Ginevra Brocca ◽  
Alessandro Calore ◽  
...  

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are worldwide distributed RNA-viruses affecting several species, including humans, and causing a broad spectrum of diseases. Historically, they have not been considered a severe threat to public health until two outbreaks of COVs-related atypical human pneumonia derived from animal hosts appeared in 2002 and in 2012. The concern related to CoVs infection dramatically rose after the COVID-19 global outbreak, for which a spill-over from wild animals is also most likely. In light of this CoV zoonotic risk, and their ability to adapt to new species and dramatically spread, it appears pivotal to understand the pathophysiology and mechanisms of tissue injury of known CoVs within the “One-Health” concept. This review specifically describes all CoVs diseases in animals, schematically representing the tissue damage and summarizing the major lesions in an attempt to compare and put them in relation, also with human infections. Some information on pathogenesis and genetic diversity is also included. Investigating the lesions and distribution of CoVs can be crucial to understand and monitor the evolution of these viruses as well as of other pathogens and to further deepen the pathogenesis and transmission of this disease to help public health preventive measures and therapies.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Loaiza ◽  
Robinson Zapata ◽  
Rao Kosagisharaf ◽  
Rolando A. Gittens ◽  
Enrique Mendoza ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: This work aims to analyze the landscape of scientific publications on subjects related to One Health and infectious diseases in Panama. We asked the following specific questions: How does the One Health research landscape look like in Panama? Are historical research efforts aligned with the One Health concept? What infectious diseases have received more attention from the local scientific community since 1990?Methods: Boolean searches on the Web of Science, SCOPUS and PubMed were undertaken to evaluate the main trends of publications related to One Health and infectious disease research in the country of Panama, between 1990 and 2019. Results: 4,547 publications were identified since 1990, including 3,564 peer-reviewed articles interconnected with One Health related descriptors, and 211 articles focused particularly on infectious diseases. There was a pattern of exponential growth in the number of publications with various contributions from Panamanian institutions. The rates of multidisciplinary, inter-institutional and inter-sectoral research ranged from moderate to low, to very low, respectively. Research efforts have centered largely on protozoan, neglected and arthropod-borne diseases with a strong emphasis on malaria, Chagas and leishmaniasis. Conclusion: Panama has scientific capabilities on One Health to tackle future infectious disease threats, but the official collaboration schemes and strategic investment to develop further competencies need to be considered. Through future collaborative efforts, Panama can reduce the risk of pandemics by developing surveillance strategies to improve the prediction of disease spillover, spread and persistence while helping to mitigate the impact on public health and the economy, regionally.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1732
Author(s):  
Artemis Efstratiou ◽  
Gabriele Karanis ◽  
Panagiotis Karanis

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are recognized as a serious and growing public health epidemic in Europe, and are a cause of major losses in livestock production worldwide. This review is an attempt to present a summary of results from studies conducted over the last century until the end of the year 2020 regarding ticks, tick-borne pathogens, and tick-borne diseases in Greece. We provide an overview of the tick species found in Greece, as well as the most important tick-borne pathogens (viruses, bacteria, protozoa) and corresponding diseases in circulation. We also consider prevalence data, as well as geographic and climatic conditions. Knowledge of past and current situations of TBDs, as well as an awareness of (risk) factors affecting future developments will help to find approaches to integrated tick management as part of the ‘One Health Concept’; it will assist in avoiding the possibility of hotspot disease emergencies and intra- and intercontinental transmission. Increased surveillance in Greece is required to ensure clear and effective policies for TBD control.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayat Khogali ◽  
Ngozi A. Erondu ◽  
Betiel H. Haile ◽  
Scott J. McNabb

A recent assessment of the Sudan public health surveillance system found fragmented and siloed disease programs and an overburdened workforce due to vertical systems and inefficient processes. A plan of action was developed to support improving public health surveillance strengthening by: 1) implementing a strategic approach to achieving IHR (2005), 2) implementing One Health and IDSR aims, and 3) establishing an E-surveillance ICT platform for increasing public health surveillance capacity to safely and rapidly detect and report infectious diseases in Sudan.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  

Zoonotic infectious diseases have been an important concern to humankind for more than 10,000 years. Today, approximately 75% of newly emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are zoonoses that result from various anthropogenic, genetic, ecologic, socioeconomic, and climatic factors. Zoonotic EIDs remain a major global concern, and such threats are expanding, especially in less developed regions. Current Ebola epidemic in West Africa is an extreme stark reminder of the role animal reservoirs play in public health, which reinforces the urgent need to operationalize a One Health approach. Building opportunities to overcome the challenges largely depends on four key capacity-building needs: (1) development of adequate science-based risk management policies, (2) skilled-personnel capacity building, (3) accredited veterinary and public health diagnostic laboratories with a shared database, and (4) improved use of existing natural resources and implementation. This paper highlights the key issues as building block for synthesis of the One Health approach to address the challenges and opportunities for tackling infectious diseases at the human, animal, and environment interface in low-resource settings. Health laboratory services are essential for the efficient delivery of quality and cost-effective healthcare. Training in laboratory services has long been a neglected part of the one health approach in countries like Sierra Leone. Njala University is actively working with other partners of Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE) Post-Ebola Resilience Project, further reinforcing the One Health Concept by focusing on both human and animal health and its interface.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 181577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick H. Ogden ◽  
John R. U. Wilson ◽  
David M. Richardson ◽  
Cang Hui ◽  
Sarah J. Davies ◽  
...  

The study and management of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) and of biological invasions both address the ecology of human-associated biological phenomena in a rapidly changing world. However, the two fields work mostly in parallel rather than in concert. This review explores how the general phenomenon of an organism rapidly increasing in range or abundance is caused, highlights the similarities and differences between research on EIDs and invasions, and discusses shared management insights and approaches. EIDs can arise by: (i) crossing geographical barriers due to human-mediated dispersal, (ii) crossing compatibility barriers due to evolution, and (iii) lifting of environmental barriers due to environmental change. All these processes can be implicated in biological invasions, but only the first defines them. Research on EIDs is embedded within the One Health concept—the notion that human, animal and ecosystem health are interrelated and that holistic approaches encompassing all three components are needed to respond to threats to human well-being. We argue that for sustainable development, biological invasions should be explicitly considered within One Health. Management goals for the fields are the same, and direct collaborations between invasion scientists, disease ecologists and epidemiologists on modelling, risk assessment, monitoring and management would be mutually beneficial.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-89
Author(s):  
Rodrigo de Macedo Couto ◽  
Danie Friguglietti Brandespim

The One Health concept represents the inseparability of human, animal, and environmental health through a unified view of health care. This article addressed the topic of public health policies from the One Health perspective, demonstrating its inclusion in various health agendas such as emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, basic sanitation, mental health, chronic non-communicable diseases, interpersonal violence, and food safety. The results showed that the application of the One Health concept to the development and implementation of policies is associated with a growing need to involve transdisciplinary teams for solving complex problems to improve communication and to ensure the relevance and acceptability of public policies, thus guaranteeing governance. According to the principle of efficiency, the government must be aware of the evolution of technical knowledge and should use the One Health approach to improve the efficacy of already existing systems. We, therefore, conducted this review to contextualize current knowledge in this topic which is becoming an essential tool for public health policy-makers and practitioners around the world promoting a reflection on the importance of multiprofessional articulation in the implementation of intersectoral public health policies.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mramba Nyindo ◽  
Abdul-Hamid Lukambagire

Zoonotic trematode infections are an area of the neglected tropical diseases that have become of major interest to global and public health due to their associated morbidity. Human fascioliasis is a trematode zoonosis of interest in public health. It affects approximately 50 million people worldwide and over 180 million are at risk of infection in both developed and underdeveloped countries. The one health paradigm is an area that seeks to address the problem of zoonotic infections through a comprehensive and sustainable approach. This review attempts to address the major challenges in managing human and animal fascioliasis with valuable insights gained from the one health paradigm to global health and multidisciplinary integration.


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