ONE HEALTH

One world, one health: prevent zoonoses, stop the spread

August 4, 2024

One world, one health: prevent zoonoses, stop the spread

Dr. Manisha Mehra and Dr. Omprakash Singh

Assistant Professor

Dept of Veterinary Pathology,

CVAS RAJUVAS Bikaner, Rajasthan-334001

“One Health” referred as “an approach to designing and implementing policies, programs, legislation, and research in which multiple sectors communicate and work together to achieve better human and animal health outcomes.” It is a collaborative, multisectoral, transdisciplinary approach, which works at the local, regional, national, and global levels. The goal of One Health is achieving optimal health outcomes while recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment. One Health is concerned with multiple issues which include zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety and food security, environmental contamination, vector-borne diseases, and other health threats shared by people, animals, and the environment. Several other fields are indirectly affected and would also benefit from One Health approach such as injury, occupational health, and noncommunicable diseases.

The new concept, ‘One World, One Health’, has recently appeared, indicating that the world has suddenly woken up to the link between animal diseases and public health. One World, One Health is a strategic Framework for Reducing Risks of Infectious Diseases at the Animal–Human–Ecosystems Interface’. About 60% of known human infectious diseases have their source in animals (whether domestic or wild), as do 75% of emerging human diseases and 80% of the pathogens that could potentially be used in bioterrorism. We also know that human populations need a regular diet of protein from milk, eggs or meat, and that a deficiency can also be a public health problem. Some estimates suggest that world production of food animals is reduced by more than 20% due to disease, which means that even animal diseases not transmissible to humans may lead to serious public health problems due to the shortages and deficiencies that can follow. We also know that the unprecedented flow of commodities and people gives pathogens of all kinds the opportunity to spread and multiply around the world, and that climate change can enable them to extend their range, notably through vectors such as insects colonising new areas that up until a few years ago were too cold for them to survive the winter. The only way to prevent all these new hazards is to adapt the existing systems of health governance at world, regional and national levels in a harmonised and coordinated manner. At the global level, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has modernised its worldwide information system on animal diseases (including zoonoses) with the creation of WAHIS, a mechanism whereby all countries are linked on-line to a central server that collects all the compulsory notifications sent to the OIE, covering 100 priority terrestrial and aquatic animal diseases.

“One World, One Health,” is based on the understanding that humans, animals, and the environment are inextricably linked, indicating that the world has suddenly realized the interrelation between ecology, animal diseases, and public health, striving to restore and maintain harmony and synergy. Humankind is currently facing several challenges compromising health through loss of biodiversity and resultant imbalance in the ecosystem, which can only be overcome through coordinated global efforts. One of these challenges of utmost importance is the spread of infectious diseases that emerge or re-emerge at the interfaces between animals, humans, and the ecosystems in which they live. Data reveal that 60% of known human infectious diseases have their source in domestic or wild animals. About 70% of all emerging and re-emerging pathogens are zoonotic which jump from animals to humans, emerging as a health threat in the form of a new disease. Majority of the pathogens that can potentially be used in bioterrorism are also of animal origin. Several factors are responsible for this situation, primarily the exponential growth in human population and closer interaction between livestock and wildlife. Human–animal contact has increased in many ways, mainly in way of food that affects both food producers and food consumers. Other than food, animals are also important for livelihood, travel, sport, education, or companionship. Migration and international travel and trade including globalization of trade in animals and animal products have enhanced the opportunity of pathogens transcending national and international borders, leading to extensive spread of diseases around the globe. Human activities have resulted in rapid and uncontrolled urbanization, deforestation and forest encroachment, and changing farming systems including change in land use and water management through dam construction and irrigation. Combined effect of all factors has led to climate variability and change in ecosystems, which has contributed to increased vector population and their survival in environment, thus affecting infectious disease reservoirs and facilitating transmissibility of many diseases. All these factors have led to the spread of existing endemic diseases, as well as cause new or re-emerging zoonotic diseases, which include rabies, Salmonella infection, West Nile virus infection, Q fever, anthrax, brucellosis, Lyme disease, ringworm, and Ebola.

Zoonotic diseases are diseases that can be spread between animals and people. They can be caused by pathogens (disease-causing organisms) such as viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi. Examples include rabies, Salmonella, some strains of influenza A, and West Nile Virus, just to name a few. At least 65 percent of recent major disease outbreaks have zoonotic origins, and 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic. Emerging zoonoses can come from many animal species, including pets.

Zoonotic diseases can be spread in a number of ways. Some methods are used for prevent zoonoses-

Route of transmission- People/Animals become infected when they ingest small, usually invisible, amounts of stool or droppings containing a pathogen, ingest contaminated food, It is often an unintentional exposure because they does not realize, or forgets, that they came in contact with fecal material or contamination respectively. If a person handles contaminated pet food, uncooked meat or fomites and does not wash his/her hands before handling foods or drinks. When insects carry a pathogen from an infected animal or person and transfer it to another animal or person. Examples include mosquitoes transmitting West Nile Virus, ticks transmitting Lyme disease, and fleas transmitting plague. When a person becomes infected through touching or handling an infected animal or through a bite, scratch, or contact with the eyes, nose or mouth of an infected animal. Rabies, ringworm and bartonellosis are examples of zoonotic diseases spread through direct contact. When a pathogen is transmitted without physical contact with the animal. Many pathogens can survive outside a person or animal for a period of time. Some pathogens can survive well in water and soil, or on inanimate objects, also known as fomites. These items can transfer pathogens such as Salmonella, Leptospira and fecal parasites from place to place, animal to animal and from animals to people.

Prevention of Zoonoses and Public Health Problems Through One Health Approach

The FAO/WHO/OIE document has outlined key elements of effective prevention programs in both animal and public health, which include the following:

Adequate infrastructure and expertise at national and local levels, and at entry points.
Timely and responsive disease surveillance systems for animal and human populations with a communication protocol between both.
Up-to-date emergency preparedness and response plans.
Capacity for communication of level of risk.
Capacity to apply international agreements and standards.
Continuous evaluation and improvement of biosecurity.
Governance and legislation in line with international standards.
Adequate sustainable laboratory capacity supported by external quality assurance systems.
Established monitoring and evaluation systems for veterinary and public health services.
A legal framework with incentives through cooperation with the private sector.

How can we stop the spread and reduce the risk

Sometimes animals carrying a zoonotic disease appear perfectly healthy. It is important to practice these habits with all animals, even if they do not appear to be sick.

Wash your hands with soap and running water:

– After petting or handling any animal

– After you’ve cleaned up after your pet or livestock or handled their bedding

– After handling uncooked food for you or your pet

– After handling any pet or animal food

– Before preparing food or drinks for yourself or others and before eating or drinking

Make sure children wash their hands after touching an animal, whether at a petting zoo, fair, pond, beach, backyard, or any other place that they get to interact with animals. Children should also avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth until after they’ve thoroughly washed their hands.
To help prevent illness and injury, keep children under 5 years of age away from areas where pets are fed.
Make sure children stay away from wildlife, and that they do not pet unknown dogs or cats without the owner’s permission.
Keep your pet healthy.

– Make sure your pet receives regular preventive veterinary care including vaccinations (talk to your veterinarian about the appropriate vaccinations for your pet) and flea, tick and intestinal parasite preventives.

– Vaccinate your pets (including indoor cats!) against rabies.

– Clean up after your pets

– Discard pet waste in a tightly sealed, impermeable bag. Small biodegradable or plastic bags work well.

-Pet waste can contain harmful bacteria and parasites, so young children should not clean up after pets.