One World, One Health: Prevent Zoonoses, Stop the Spread

One World, One Health: Prevent Zoonoses, Stop the Spread

Babul Rudra Paul

Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Clinical Complex, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, O.U.A.T, Bhubaneswar-751003

*Email ID: brpaul@ouat.ac.in

Introduction

The idea of “One Health” has become more well-known throughout the last decade as the lines between environmental, animal, and human health have become progressively blurred. Recognizing the interconnection of people, animals, plants, and their environment, it promotes a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach at local, regional, national, and international levels to achieve optimal health outcomes. To efficiently identify, stop, and address zoonotic risks, this all-encompassing strategy combines environmental science, veterinary medicine, and human medicine. In order to successfully lessen the burden of zoonoses, One Health encourages early warning systems, surveillance techniques, and coordinated actions by acknowledging the interdependencies between ecosystems and health systems.

Zoonotic diseases are infections that spread from animal to human and are a leading cause of newly emerges infectious diseases. They constitute a significant public health threat, as demonstrated by past outbreaks like Ebola, SARS, and now COVID-19. These diseases often originate in animals before spilling over to human populations. Factors such as increased travel, urbanization, and agricultural practices can exacerbate the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. They account for over 75% of emerging infectious diseases, with 60% originating from domestic or wild animals and posing significant concerns, including potential bioterrorism threats. Annually, these emerging zoonoses result in 2.7 billion deaths and 2.5 billion cases worldwide. They represent increasingly severe health risks globally, leading to billions of dollars in economic losses across various local and global sectors in recent decades. In the last decade, zoonotic diseases have incurred direct costs exceeding $20 billion and indirect costs surpassing $200 billion.

NOTABLE EXAMPLES OF ZOONOTIC DISEASES AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE:

Sl No	Diseases	Pathogens	Significance of the diseases
1.	COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019)	SARS-CoV-2 virus	· Global pandemic: leading to millions of deaths, economic disruption, and unprecedented public health responses worldwide. · It originated from animal reservoirs, likely bats
2.	Ebola Virus Disease	Ebola virus	· Ebola outbreaks:  devastating effects on human populations, causing severe illness with high mortality rates. · Zoonotic diseases, with bats being one of the likely animal reservoirs
3.	Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)	Influenza viruses (e.g., H5N1, H7N9)	· Host: It infects birds and occasionally humans, causing severe respiratory illness. · Transmission to humans: Direct contact with infected poultry or contaminated environments. · Threat: Potential for these viruses to mutate and cause a pandemic in humans
4.	Lyme Disease	Borrelia burgdorferi	· Transmission to humans: bite of infected ticks, primarily deer ticks. · Symptoms: fever, rash, and neurological problems if untreated. · Prevalence: North America, Europe, and parts of Asia.
5.	Rabies	Rabies virus	· It affects the central nervous system · almost always fatal once symptoms appear. · Transmission to humans: the bite or scratch of infected animals, such as dogs, bats, and wildlife.
6.	Brucellosis Brucella melitensis Brucella abortus Brucella suis		· Transmission: Direct contact with infected animals or consumption of unpasteurized dairy products from infected animals · Undulant fever · Occupational exposure being a significant risk factor for certain groups (e.g., farmers, veterinarians, slaughterhouse workers)
7.	Anthrax	Bacillus anthracis	· Transmission to humans: direct contact with infected animals or their products (like wool, hides, or meat), inhalation of spores · Cutaneous Anthrax, Pulmonary Anthrax, Gastrointestinal Anthrax · Biological Weapon Potential

Key strategies to prevent zoonoses

To prevent zoonoses effectively, a comprehensive strategy should encompass several key components:

1. Surveillance and Early Detection:A key element of the One Health concept, surveillance and early detection are vital for reducing the impact and spread of new illnesses. Health officials can quickly detect odd patterns of illness or disease outbreaks that could indicate a possible hazard by actively monitoring both animal and human populations. Early intervention techniques, such as focused vaccination campaigns, isolation protocols, and public health warnings, are made possible by this proactive monitoring and are essential for controlling epidemics before they develop into more serious emergencies. Furthermore, surveillance makes it easier to quickly implement treatment plans and diagnostic procedures, guaranteeing prompt medical attention and lowering rates of morbidity and death. Therefore, it is essential to have integrated surveillance systems that include data on livestock, wildlife, and human health in order to protect global health security and foster resilience against unforeseen events.

1. Cross-Sectoral Collaboration:Fostering collaborations between the health sector, environmental scientists, animal conservationists, and policymakers is essential for addressing the underlying causes of zoonotic illnesses. A thorough understanding of the ecological, behavioral, and socioeconomic aspects influencing the genesis and transmission of diseases between humans and animals is made possible by the cooperation of these varied stakeholders. The preservation of biodiversity and habitat management, which can affect the occurrence and transmission of zoonotic infections, are two areas in which wildlife conservationists offer valuable insights. Expertise on pollutant consequences, land-use practices, and climate change that affect disease dynamics and ecosystem health is contributed by environmental scientists. When it comes to putting laws and incentives into place that support wildlife management, sustainable practices, and public health readiness, legislators are essential. Initiatives for One Health can advance through the integration of information and resources from several sectors.

3.Promoting Sustainable Practices: To reduce the chance of zoonotic disease emergence, it is essential to promote sustainable agriculture, ethical wildlife management, and conservation techniques:

1. Sustainable Agriculture:In order to address antimicrobial resistance, reduce the usage of antibiotics in livestock production. Encourage varied agricultural practices that reduce monocultures, which can draw pests and illnesses, and boost the relationships between domesticated animals and wildlife.
2. Responsible Wildlife Management: To avoid overexploitation and preserve the balance of the environment, keep an eye on wildlife populations and their habitats. Stressors that cause wildlife to move into cities or change their behavior can be reduced, which will lessen the likelihood of disease transfer and human-animal interactions.
3. Conservation Practices:Preserve biodiversity and natural ecosystems to safeguard animals and prevent human intrusion into wildlife areas. This lessens the possibility of zoonotic spillover events by limiting human-wildlife contact with possibly affected species.

Integrating these approaches improves community health by fostering sustainable ecosystems that benefit both human and animal populations and by building settings resistant to zoonotic infections.

3. Promote Vaccination and Immunization: Develop and administer vaccines for zoonotic diseases where feasible. Vaccination programs targeted at both animals and humans can significantly reduce the transmission and severity of zoonoses.

5. Public Awareness and Education:Raise awareness about zoonotic diseases, their transmission pathways, and preventive measures measures such as vaccination and proper hygiene practices through targeted educational campaigns. Empowering individuals with knowledge encourages proactive behavior and early reporting of potential outbreaks.

By implementing a multifaceted strategy that integrates these components, governments, international organizations, and communities can work together to effectively prevent and control zoonotic diseases, safeguarding both human and animal health in the process.

Conclusion

In today’s interconnected global context, the One Health paradigm is more than simply a theoretical framework—it is a crucial operational tactic. It promotes cooperative efforts amongst disciplines and sectors to integrate environmental, animal, and human health. The One Health concept must be adopted and implemented by governments, international agencies, healthcare professionals, and communities worldwide due to the increasing prevalence of zoonotic diseases. This comprehensive approach, which emphasizes the connectivity of health across species and ecosystems, is essential for safeguarding the wellbeing of our planet and all its inhabitants.

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