One World, One Health: Prevent Zoonoses, Stop the Spread.
Dr.Aditya Mohite, Dr. Nancy Bajaj, Dr.Shubham Mandhale, Dr.Pankaj Kumar.
( Assistant Professor R.R.College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Deoli, Rajasthan)
Introduction-
The one health is defined as “The collaborative effort of multiple disciplines to obtain optimal health for people, animals, and our environment” Commission. One health is also, defined as “the promotion, improvement, and defense for the health and well-being” by the One Health Initiative Task Force (OHITF).
Over the last two decades, there has been considerable change in the importance of certain zoonotic diseases in many parts of the world, resulting from ecological changes such as urbanization, industrialization, and a diminishing proportion of persons working in the so-called primary sector. Several zoonotic diseases that are reemerging or emerging in humans present serious public health challenges because of their widespread distribution, inadequate surveillance, and difficulties with prompt diagnosis. Increased morbidity and mortality are caused by zoonotic and arboviral diseases in India. India is also concerned about the recent worldwide outbreaks of diseases like Ebola, Zika Virus Disease, and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever. A multi-sectoral approach involving coordinated efforts from the veterinary, environmental, forestry, agricultural, climate change, and health sectors is necessary for prevention and control strategies for these animal-origin diseases.
Among those zoonoses recognized today as particularly important are anthrax, plague, brucellosis, Bovine tuberculosis, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, spotted fever caused by Rickettsiae, rabies, several common arthropod-borne viral infections (arboviral infection), certain parasitic diseases, especially cysticercosis, hydatid disease, trypanosomiasis, and toxoplasmosis. The factors that are responsible for zoonotic diseases are human health, animal health & environment, these 3 factors are equally responsible for the spread and contagious of all deadly zoonotic diseases, and the concept recognizes the interconnection between human health, animal health, and the environment is one health concept.
Zoonoses are mostly prevented and controlled via the one health strategy. The World Health Organization (WHO) and Graham et al. have reported that over 75% of newly discovered viral diseases in humans are classified as zoonotic, which means that they may naturally spread from vertebrate animals to people.
Over the past three decades, new and reemerging zoonoses have arisen in part due to our growing reliance on animals and their products, as well as our intimate relationship with companion animals. In light of infectious diseases, zoonoses should be regarded as the most important risk factor for human health and well-being.
Among the fundamental tenets of One Health are:
- a) Interdisciplinary Commission- To solve health challenges, veterinary practitioners, physicians, ecologists, and other professionals collaborate across disciplinary boundaries.
- b) Integrated Surveillance and Response: Coordinated observation of environmental elements that impact animal-human disease transmission as well as diseases that can be spread between animals and humans.
c)The Prevention and Control Strategies- The prevention and control goals are to stop diseases before they start by immunizing people, keeping areas clean, and educating people.
- d) Research and Development:
Encourages collaborative research projects to improve our understanding of diseases and create fresh approaches to their treatment and prevention.
- e) Education Policies-
Policies that promote the One Health approach must be created, and professionals and the general public must be made aware of the significance of this integrated approach.
One- health Approaches-
- Prevent & Control of Zoonotic diseases-
Historically, zoonotic diseases had a tremendous impact on the evolution of man, especially those cultures and societies that domesticated and bred animals for food and clothing. Zoonoses are among the most frequent and dreaded risks to which mankind is exposed. Zoonoses occur throughout the world transcending the natural boundaries. Their important effect on the global economy and health is well known, extending from the international movement of animals and importation of diseases to bans on the importation of all animal products and restrictions on other international trade practices. So, zoonoses no longer are solely a national problem. For effective control of zoonoses global surveillance is necessary.
Also, The globalization of control initiatives has grown more significant in the technological, economic, and social domains due to the recognition of cross-national links. In light of the unique health and economic issues that each region faces, international organizations continue to place a high priority on the control of zoonoses.
Diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans, such as rabies, avian influenza, Leishmaniasis, and tuberculosis etc highlight the need for a One Health approach. Monitoring wildlife and livestock health can better manage human health risks.
- Antimicrobial Resistance–
Antimicrobials are drugs that are used to prevent and cure infectious diseases in humans, animals, and plants. They include antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitic.
When bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites stop responding to antimicrobial medications, it’s known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Drug resistance makes antimicrobial medications, including antibiotics, ineffective and makes treating infections challenging or impossible. This raises the risk of infection spread, serious illness, disability, and death.
AMR is a natural process brought about by pathogen genetic alterations over time. Human activity has a major role in its genesis and spread, mostly through the improper and excessive use of antibiotics to treat, prevent, or manage illnesses in people, animals, and plants. so, in this, A One Health approach involves regulating antibiotic use across sectors to combat antimicrobial resistance. - Food Safety and Security-
A societal and devastating issue involves concerns and issues related to food security, safety, and the ability to feed over 7 billion people, as well as sustainable production systems that guarantee environmental protection. It is becoming more and harder to ensure that food is healthy, inexpensive, accessible, and safe, especially in a global setting. The creation of a One Health approach and a new way of thinking and doing are essential to overcoming this obstacle. - Environmental Health:
The environment is the most dynamic and consequently the most confounding sector of the One Health triad as evidenced by the examples of antibiotic resistance and climate change. Environmental issues have gained the greatest traction in terms of climate change and its adverse effects on the health of humans, animals, and the environment. Climate change compromises the ecological and environmental integrity of living systems by inducing lifecycle changes in pathogens, vectors, and reservoirs; new and emerging diseases of plants and food and domestic and wild animals; trophic cascades; interfering with the synchrony between interacting species in a particular habitat; and modifying or destroying habitats. It has been termed the “threat multiplier” in that it adversely affects infectious diseases, zoonosis, food security, food safety, and local, regional, and global responses to them. Aligning One Health with climate change could entrench the environmental sector in the One Health triad.
References-
Bidaisee, Satesh, and Calum NL Macpherson. “Zoonoses and one health: a review of the literature.” Journal of Parasitology Research 2014 (2014).
Venkatesan, G., et al. “Viral zoonosis: a comprehensive review.” J Vet Anim Adv 5.2 (2010): 77-92.
One Health. (n.d.) One Health Commission, 2010, http://www.onehealthcommission.org/
OHITF, One Health: A New Professional Imperative–OneHealth Initiative Task Force. American Veterinary Association,2008.
WHO, Combating Emerging InfectiousDiseases in the SouthEast Asia Region, 2005, http://www.searo.who.int/entity/emerging diseases/documents/SEA CD 139/en/index.html
- P. Graham, J. H. Leibler, L. B. Price et al., “The animal-humaninterface and infectious disease in industrial food animalproduction: rethinking biosecurity and biocontainment,” PublicHealth Reports, vol. 123, no. 3, pp. 282–299, 2008
Essack, S. Y. (2018). Environment: the neglected component of the One Health triad. The Lancet Planetary Health, 2(6), e238-e239.
