Annals of Internal Medicine Journal

21 January 2014, Vol 160, No. 2

Editorial:

Taking the Bite Out of Rabies, Putting Teeth Into “One Health”

David N. Fisman, MD, MPH

SEE:  http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleId=1814429&guestAccessKey=bc99ff34-86ca-4a2b-9595-2011302bf982

The highly respected and prominent Annals of Internal Medicine journal has graciously granted the One Health Initiative website’s readers full open-access to the above article link for a three month period.

Dr. Fisman is a physician member of the One Health Initiative Honorary Advisory Board http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/advBoard.php.  

Provided by:

Aileen McHugh

Associate Publisher, Circulation, Licensing, and Permissions

Annals of Internal Medicine (www.annals.org)

American College of Physicians
190 N. Independence Mall West
Philadelphia, PA 19106-1572
Ph: 215-351-2642
Toll free: 800-523-1546
Fax: 215-351-2438
Email: amchugh@acponline.org

New paper explores science and policy debates surrounding trypanosomiasis and tsetse control – Advocates One Health Approach

The Politics of Trypanosomiasis Control in Africa, a new working paper by Professor Ian Scoones of the Institute of Development Studies, UK, http://www.ids.ac.uk/files/dmfile/cvscoonesshortnov06.pdf explores the scientific and policy debates surrounding trypanosomiasis control. The paper focuses in particular on Zambia and Zimbabwe where Professor Scoones is undertaking research with the Dynamic Drivers of Disease in Africa Consortium (www.driversofdisease.org), a multidisciplinary research programme exploring the links between ecosystems, poverty and disease.

Based on an extensive review of documentary material and interviews with scientists and policymakers, Professor Scoones’s paper offers an assessment of the changing institutional politics associated with tsetse and trypanosomiasis control. It investigates the controversies surrounding different control methods and considers how the focus on particular methods has meant that alternatives have often been overlooked and the perspectives of livestock keepers ignored. In addition, it explores how competition for dwindling research and operational funds, combined with a lack of institutional coordination, has resulted in the failure to develop an integrated approach linking ecological and disease dynamics with socio-economic conditions. The conclusion discusses why such a ‘One Health’ approach is required and why addressing the politics of science and policy is essential.

Published in the STEPS Working Paper series, The Politics of Trypanosomiasis Control in Africa can be downloaded from the STEPS Centre website (http://steps-centre.org/publication/politics-trypanosomiasis-control-africa/).

Provided by: 

Naomi Marks

Communications Officer

Dynamic Drivers of Disease in Africa Consortium

STEPS Centre

Institute of Development Studies

Brighton, BN1 9RE

UK

Twitter @DDDAC_org

Tel: +44 (0) 1273 915606

U.S. College Announces First Undergraduate One Health Specific Curriculum

 Berry College One Health Program

“One Health, sometimes called “One Medicine”, is an emerging concept in which the health of any population, including humans, is assumed to be dependent upon numerous external factors, including associations with other species and the environment they occupy. The One Health approach promotes a highly interdisciplinary collaboration between physicians, veterinarians, epidemiologists, public health administrators, ecologists, infectious disease researchers, as well as those engaged in numerous other specialties.

The One Health concept originally arose in the veterinary medical community, largely due to the observed transmission of zoonotic pathogens between pets, livestock, and wildlife; as well as sometimes to humans, such as with bird flu. It was quickly understood that the dynamics of transmission frequently depended upon the ecological context of these interactions. These could be environmental, cultural, or behavioral factors, which directly or indirectly facilitate disease transmission between populations.

Despite its origins, the One Health approach to individual and population health has now gained widespread acceptance throughout the veterinary medical, medical, and public health fields. Indeed, One Health courses are increasingly being adopted as part of the required curriculum at many veterinary medical colleges, medical schools, and schools of public health. Owing largely to its intuitive utility and the interdisciplinary nature, One Health specific graduate programs are increasingly available at major universities. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as the World Health Organization (WHO), both maintain permanent One Health offices as a means to foster interdisciplinary collaborations and cooperation between researchers, educators, government agencies, and healthcare professionals.

Although graduate level programs dedicated to the One Health approach are increasing available, until now there has not been a similar investment in such training at the undergraduate level. We at Berry College are therefore proud to announce that in November of 2013 Berry became the first college in the United States to approve a One Health specific curriculum at the undergraduate level. This program of study, which results in the student earning a minor in One Health, truly reflects the interdisciplinary nature inherent to the One Health concept. This curriculum is uniquely possible at Berry principally due to two reasons. First is the faculty, many of whom who have been involved in One Health related research, and teaching related courses, even prior to the acknowledgment of One Health as a specific discipline. Second, the facilities and academic climate at Berry are uniquely suited for such a program.

At 27,000 acres Berry College can boast the largest campus in the world. Its vast tracts of land, the wildlife preserve, and livestock facilities provide a unique opportunity to study those ecological factors potentially linked to population health, including zoonotic disease transmission.  Such studies are facilitated by the student work program, for which Berry is well known. This provides the opportunity for students to be paid while working directly with faculty on One Health related research projects.  We feel these factors place Berry in a unique position to offer a One Health minor to its students at this time.

For more information on Berry College’s One Health program, please visit us at One Health website http://www.berry.edu/academics/science/page.aspx?id=101816”

 Provided by:

 Christopher A. Hall, PhD

 Director, One Health Center

 Associate Professor

 Department of Biology

 Berry College

 Mount Berry, GA 30149

 Off. (706) 290-2669

 Fax. (706) 238-7855

 Chall@berry.edu

Important One Health article published…

British (United Kingdom) Veterinary Journal To Publish One Health Series in 2014

The highly respected and widely read Veterinary Record Journal, http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/, the journal of the British Veterinary Association, has announced that “Throughout 2014, we'll be publishing feature articles written by experts in a range of fields that explore current issues in One Health, the history of One Health and challenges for the future. We hope to draw attention to this important field and stimulate debate.”

The Journal provided the One Health Initiative website the following “open access” links that allow readers to read the first article “The evolution of One Health: a decade of progress and challenges for the future” Veterinary Record 2014;174:4 78 doi:10.1136/vr.g478 by E. Paul J. Gibbs, BVSc, PhD, FRCVS http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/about-the-college/faculty-directory/paul-gibbs/.   Dr. Gibbs, a veterinarian, is a prominent, longstanding One Health supporter, advocate and expert on the subject—recognized by the One Health Initiative team and many others in the U.S. and worldwide.  

Please see: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/174/4/85.full or http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/174/4/85.full.pdf+html

Provided by:

Laura Feetham
Assistant Editor

Veterinary Record and In Practice

BMJ, BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JR
T: 020 78747061
E: lfeetham@bmj.com
W: bmj.com/company

One Health Initiative Team Nominated for Katerva Award Consideration

The One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono Team: Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP ▪ Bruce Kaplan, DVM ▪ Thomas P. Monath, MD ▪ Jack Woodall, PhD ▪ Lisa A. Conti, DVM, MPH has been nominated for the 2013 Katerva Award http://katerva.net/ in the “Behavioral Change” category http://katerva.net/home/accelerate/behavioral_change/behavioral-change-2013/ (scroll down).

Katerva evaluates nominations http://katerva.net/home/evaluate/ as follows:

“We Evaluate Innovations for Validity, Originality, Impact and Scalability

We are seeking inspirational innovations that can scale rapidly, have meaningful impact and measurable results for a thriving future. Nominations are sourced from the Katerva Network and also by direct research. Research and nomination processes are ongoing and nominations are accepted year-round for the following year's awards.

Katerva Award nominations are subject to a rigorous multi-level filtering process.

Nominations are first reviewed for validity by a team of experts in each of our 10 award categories. Expert panels comprised of scientists, practitioners and academics evaluate whether the innovation works within known scientific and technical parameters.

The top 10 nominees from each category are then scored against a detailed set of criteria by expert teams for ,impact, scalability and policy. The winner is chosen through scoring, deliberation and final score submittal.

The ten winners are forward to a world class team of Judges who review extensive material and scores and deliberate to choose the annual Katerva Award winner.

We also hold a People’s Choice Award—a competition open to all finalists (the top 50 nominees).” 

Prominent Physician Virologist Researcher and Epidemiologist Endorses One Health

“In 1960, the Subcommittee on Information Exchange (SIE) of the American Committee on Arthropod-Borne Viruses (ACAV) published its first quarterly newsletter. Its purpose was to facilitate a worldwide dialogue between laboratories involved in arbovirus diagnosis and research. It became an extraordinary conduit for information, and provided much needed scientific exposure to isolated institutions. The casual format of the publication nurtured a unique network of intellectual and technical resources which was directly responsible for the rapid expansion of knowledge and surveillance.

No longer are diseases just a local problem, delineated by geographical, environmental and cultural components. The churning of large populations through transcontinental migrations recirculates pathogens which in turn adopt novel strategies.

I applaud and support the One Health initiative, which addresses all these new concerns. It creates a forum of ideas and resources, and involves dedicated individuals, as well as governmental, non governmental institutions, Academia and even private corporations. My latest experience with rabies education in Jodhpur, India, illustrates the need for such an organization.  I would be glad to help.”

Martine Jozan Work, MD, DrPH

Orange County [California – USA] Vector Control District and Foundation for Rabies Education and Eradication (FHREE)

mjozan@ocvcd.org and amiral.jozan@gmail.com

Submitted January 10, 2014

Note:  Dr. Work did field studies on arbovirus transmission, diagnosis and identification of field isolates and immunity studies from 1970-1991 at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) school of public health under the leadership of the late Telford H. Work, MD, DTM&H, MPH http://www.afpmb.org/sites/default/files/whatsnew/2006/telford.pdf.  The program was funded by a National Institute of Health (NIH) grant and included the laboratory and field training of master and doctoral students.

“The One Health Initiative – Collaborative Practice”

Presented to the *USDA-Food Safety and Inspection Service’s http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/informational/aboutfsis Science and Technology Seminar Series on January 8, 2014 by Lisa A. Conti, DVM, MPH.  Please see PDF presentation slides http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/publications/One%20Health%20Initiative%20FSIS%20Jan%208%202014.pdf.

According to Jude Smedra, MS, USDA-FSIS staff officer biologist and Coordinator of the Seminar Series, “The presentation was extremely impressive explaining the details of collaborative practice … a very important part of science and in turn is a greater part of enhancing food safety and public health.”  In addition, he said “I think the question and answer session was very productive.”

Dr. Conti is currently Deputy Commissioner and Chief Science Officer at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (USA) and a member of the One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono team.  In addition, she is a noted American public health veterinarian who co-authored a groundbreaking ‘first of its kind’ One Health book published in 2010 entitled Human-Animal Medicine – Clinical Approaches to Zoonoses, Toxicants and other Shared Health Risks http://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/product.jsp?isbn=9781416068372 with prominent American public health physician, Peter Rabinowitz, MD, MPH, formerly at Yale Medical School and now Associate Professor, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Department of Global Health, University of Washington, School of Public Health, Director of Human Animal Medicine Project (USA).  Dr. Rabinowitz also serves on the One Health Initiative team’s Honorary Advisory Board http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/advBoard.php.

*The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

 One Health Career Options:

Consider obtaining a Master of Health Science with a concentration in One Health from the University of Florida (USA)

See: http://egh.phhp.ufl.edu/academic-programs/masters-programs/mhs-one-health/

A PhD in One Health is also available…the first of its kind worldwide—

See: http://egh.phhp.ufl.edu/academic-programs/doctoral-programs/phd-in-one-health/

These One Health educational programs are endorsed by One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono Team: Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP ▪ Bruce Kaplan, DVM ▪ Thomas P. Monath, MD ▪ Jack Woodall, PhD ▪ Lisa A. Conti, DVM, MPH

The One Health “big picture” view via the “One Health Umbrella” graphic developed by One Health Sweden in collaboration with the One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono team:

Signature One Health Leader, Veterinary Medical College Dean and Former U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Joins One Health Initiative Team’s Honorary Advisory Board

The One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono team is delighted to announce that Dr. Lonnie J. King, a veterinarian, has graciously accepted becoming a member of the team’s Honorary Advisory Board http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/advBoard.php on December 31, 2013.  Dr. King said, “I would be honored to be included as a member of your Honorary Advisory Board.  As you know, I really appreciate what you [Bruce], Tom, Laura, Jack and Lisa have accomplished.  Your collective efforts have truly advanced our One Health purpose and helped develop a greater sense of awareness.  It would be a pleasure and again, an honor, to be part of your outstanding team.”

The OHI Honorary Advisory Board was established in 2010 and has 30 distinguished members from within the U.S. and worldwide.  Dr. King was a preeminent One Health leader during the early establishment and development of the American Veterinary Medical Association’s One Health Task Force and seminal One Health implementation report http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/taskForce.php.  He has continued his extraordinary One Health activities in all subsequent endeavors.

Lonne J. King, DVM, MS, MPH http://vet.osu.edu/cvm/dr-lonnie-king is presently Dean of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.  Dr. King was the former director of the Center For Disease Control’s (CDC) new National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne and Enteric Diseases (NCZVED) in Atlanta, GA.  In this position, Dr. King led the Center’s One Health activities for surveillance, diagnostics, disease investigations, epidemiology, research, public education, vector-born and zoonotic diseases of public health concern, which includes most of the CDC’s select and bioterrorism agents, neglected tropical diseases and emerging zoonoses.  Before serving as director, Dr. King was the first chief of the agency’s Office of Strategy and Innovation.  Notably, Dr. King was elected as a member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of The National Academies in 2004.

Dr. King is listed as a longstanding One Health supporter/advocate http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/supporters.php.