One World, One Health: Prevent Zoonoses

One World, One Health: Prevent Zoonoses

 Dr. Sudhanya Nath¹* and Aravindkumar K.²

¹Additional Veterinary Assistant Surgeon at BVD, Hemgir, Sundargarh under F&ARD Department, Government of Odisha

²B.V.Sc. & A.H. (Intern), Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research, Puducherry

*Corresponding author – sudhanyanath@yahoo.com

The recent emergence of the new idea “One World, One Health” suggests that people are suddenly becoming more aware of the connection between animal illnesses and human health. Long known are the sources of 60% of known human infectious illnesses, 75% of new human diseases, and 80% of pathogens are used in bioterrorism, whether they come from domestic or wild animals. Zoonotic disorders are brought on by pathogenic microorganisms such as fungi, parasites, bacteria, and viruses. These microorganisms can cause a wide range of ailments in humans and animals, from minor illness to severe illness and even death. Based on the zoonotic illness, animals might seem healthy even when they are harbouring pathogens that make individuals sick. Appropriate precautions may be done regionally, such as in your home or farming operation, as well as nationally or internationally to prevent the propagation of zoonotic illnesses.

Key words: One World, One Health, Zoonosis, Prevent, Microorganisms.

 One World and One Health

Through the development of World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS), an approach in which all nations are connected via the internet to a single database that gathers all the mandatory notifications sent to the OIE, covering 100 priority terrestrial and aquatic animal diseases, the OIE has modernized its worldwide databases on diseases affecting animals (including zoonoses). The International Health Regulations, which have been adopted by WHO, have given its members new responsibilities. GLEWS, or the Global Early Warning System, was developed by the OIE, WHO, and FAO as a platform to enhance early alerts on animal illnesses and zoonoses globally.

The OIE, WHO, and FAO have developed a joint statement on the worldwide steps required for better coordination of healthcare and veterinary health policies, taking into consideration fresh demands to prevent and deal with zoonoses. This work was supported by UNICEF, the UN System Influenza Coordinator (UNSIC), and the World Bank. At a conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in October 2008, the Ministers of more than 100 nations submitted and approved this statement. On a national scale, the OIE has established an instrument whereby nations may help to have an OIE independent assessment of the welfare of animal’s framework, such as their Veterinary Services’ compliance with worldwide norms of superior quality embraced and issued by the OIE and assisting as the cornerstone for a successful government. A PVS (Performance of Veterinary Services) evaluation offers a first diagnostic for administration that may be accompanied by assistance as part of a gap analysis study to determine what “treatment” would be required, in accordance with the country’s own goals, to address shortcomings discovered throughout the diagnostic. Application of the PVS can, among its many advantages, allow suggestions to be made on how to improve collaboration between the veterinary sector and the Public Health Sector, even if there isn’t yet an analogous system for public health systems. Recent occurrences have demonstrated how crucial this partnership may be in combating zoonotic diseases like rabies and extremely virulent avian influenza, as well as several foodborne illnesses.

Transmission of Zoonotic disease:

Due to the close ties between humans as well as other animals, it’s critical to understand the typical routes through which people might get pathogens that cause zoonotic illnesses. These may consist of:

1. Direct contact: With an infected animal’s saliva, blood, urine, mucus, faeces, or other bodily fluids. Example: Scratches.
2. Indirect contact: interacting with things or surfaces that have been contaminated with pathogens, as well as places where animals frequently congregate and wander. Example: aquarium tank water.
3. Vector borne: by Ectoparasites like flea, mosquitoes, ticks.
4. Food borne: Every year, consuming tainted food makes 1 in 6 persons ill. Eating or drinking anything dangerous, such as unpasteurized (raw) milk, raw produce that has been tainted with animal excrement, undercooked meat or eggs, or unwashed fruits and vegetables. Both humans and animals, including pets, can become unwell from eating contaminated food.
5. Water borne: consuming or contacting water that has been tainted by an infected animal’s excrement.

Objective of prevention of zoonoses

1. Keep animals from contracting an infection because healthy animals can produce more, cannot spread an infection to humans, and cannot infect other animals.
2. Preventing human infection is important because uninfected people will not become unwell or spread the infection to animals or other people.
3. While certain preventative measures will shield people from infection, others will shield animals from infection. Additional preventative measures shield both people and animals. Only the level of the animal and the farm or community will be our emphasis here.

Table 1: Prevention of Zoonosis

1.      Prevention at animal level

First and foremost, one must understand how illnesses are transmitted and disseminated in order to protect animals from being infected:

• Animal to animal through touch
• By pets coming into touch with infected objects (such as beds, meal bowls, and human garments).
• Airborne – Through the air
• When an animal is born, the mother provides it with food and water.
• Contac with insects
• During mating

Owners must take care to prevent healthy animals from coming into touch with diseased ones. Towels, blankets, saddles, feed bowls, and other equipment should be kept separate for healthy and sick horses. For instance, ringworm is a skin condition that spreads quickly when a healthy horse uses a saddle or rope that was previously used on an infected one.

2. Prevention at community level

Preventing animals from contracting zoonoses is the first step in their prevention. However, it still happens sometimes for animals to contract a zoonosis. The next step is to stop the germ from spreading from animals to people. The text boxes in this book show how to stop each of the discussed zoonosis from infecting people. Most zoonoses in animals don’t manifest any overt symptoms. Frequently, you will only notice symptoms that closely resemble those of another illness, like the flu. Or perhaps the animal “just isn’t itself.” It appears to be a little weaker, grows a little more slowly, and is a little slower. It might be another illness in this instance.

Preventive measures

Human-animal infection prevention techniques heavily rely on cultural practices and knowledge. However, it may be claimed that cleanliness plays a significant part in prevention generally. Everything that keeps you healthy is good hygiene. Following good sanitary procedures at home benefits:

• Food safety (proper food preparation and secure disposal of food waste)
• Personal hygiene, which includes washing your hands
• general cleanliness (laundry, cleaning of surfaces)
• Home health care, such as tending to wounds
• regulating sewage and rainfall
• taking care of pets and household animals
• Elimination of insects

3. Region Level

In nations with access to clean water, maintaining personal hygiene may be accomplished by washing your hands after using the restroom, keeping the toilet seat covered and clean, washing your hands before eating, and cleaning produce before consuming it. All of these will aid in the illness prevention. Cleaning up food remnants that can attract flies, applying insect repellents, and utilizing mosquito netting are all ways to control insects. Wearing apparel with full-length pants and long sleeves can help to protect oneself from flies and mosquitoes. The following can still be done in nations where access to clean water is uncommon and where sanitary standards are lower:

• Before drinking, bring water to a boil.
• Check to see whether you can construct and use a latrine.
• Avoid urinating close to your home if you don’t have a latrine, and be sure to bury your waste.
• Without first washing your hands, avoid putting your fingers in your mouth.

Infection risk is decreased overall by the hygiene practices mentioned above, not just the danger of zoonotic illnesses. The following additional actions should be performed in relation to animals:

• Make sure that animals cannot consume human waste.
• It’s preferable to feed and confine pets away from the kitchen.
• Your veterinarian should be contacted if an animal becomes unwell.
• Keep human food and animal food separate.

4. Global Level

Young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those who are already ill or frail should all receive extra attention. This implies that individuals in these risk categories should under no circumstances consume raw or undercooked meat, eggs, water, or milk, and they should never consume cheese prepared from unpasteurized milk.

• Make sure you are aware of the dangers associated with your line of work.
• Wear protective equipment to prevent skin contact with the animals or their products (overalls, a thick topcoat, rubber boots, gloves, etc.).
• Ensure that the attire you wear while protecting yourself is distinct from what you wear at home. Wearing business clothing at home is not advisable.
• When filthy, wash your protective clothes. Put off doing this till after work or hire a laundry service.
• Eat and drink away from any regions with animals, animal faeces, or anything made from animals. So, avoid drinking your beer near to a cadaver in the meat locker.
• Your veterinarian service should be notified as soon as possible about any suspected ill animals so that precautions may be taken.
• Always remember to inform the doctor that you deal with animals or animal products when you seek medical attention for yourself.
• While working, refrain from touching your face or lips with your hands.
• Before you go for home, wash your hands.
• A first aid package should be accessible in case of emergency.
• When your task is done, disinfect the equipment.
• Keep guests away as much as you can! Alternately, make sure they also wear boots and protective clothes.

Conclusion:

The ecosystem, along with the world’s human and animal populations, is closely intertwined, and all three are today threatened owing to a variety of circumstances. The only way to tackle the serious situation is through coordinated worldwide efforts that apply IHR, GHSA, and the One Health Approach, the latter of which is a holistic approach aimed at the entire ecosystem. Coordination must be developed among all stakeholders, which include public health and veterinary officials and agencies, environmental protection agencies, companies, research institutes, animal merchants and handlers, and the general public. The time has come for the entire globe to bind together and fight to maintain the environment of the home that we all share. Prevention and control of new parasitic zoonoses need a worldwide commitment not only from diverse health experts, but also from legislators and economics to give adequate financing for interactive control initiatives. Nonetheless, the primary responsibility continues to rely on local communities and necessitates changes in human behaviour, environmental modifications in our increasing urban civilization, and a greater understanding of the threats connected with animals as we intrude.

Reference:

1. Chomel, B. B. (2008). Control and prevention of emerging parasitic zoonoses. International journal for parasitology, 38(11): 1211-1217.
2. Garg, S. and Banerjee, B. (2021). One world, one health. Indian Journal of Community Medicine: Official Publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, 46(4): 581.
3. https://infonet-biovision.org/HumanHealth/How-prevent-occurrence-zoonotic-diseases
4. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/statements/joint-tripartite-and-unep-statement-definition-one-health
5. https://www.woah.org/en/one-world-one-health/
6. Rouffignac M. (2007). Pets and Zoonotic Considerations.  South Perth, Western Australia:  World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress Proceedings.
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One World, One Health: Prevent Zoonoses

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