One Health Newsletter – Fall Issue 2013 – Volume 6, Issue 4

 Please see: http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/publications/FallOHNL2013.pdf

http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-from-animals/one-health-newsletter/index.html

Report Submitted to the One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono team December 16, 2013 – Posted OHI website December 19, 2013

One Health Sweden steering committee visit to Florida (USA) December 2013

Sweden

Björn Olsen, MD, senior physician, professor in infectious diseases, Uppsala University, Uppsala

Lotta Berg, VMD, senior lecturer, associate professor in animal hygiene, Swedish university of Agricultural Sciences, Skara.

Karin Artursson, VMD, associate professor in bacteriology, research coordinator, the National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala

Josef Järhult, MD, Specialized physician in infectious diseases, Uppsala University, Uppsala

“More similarities than differences in how One Health is approached in Europe and North America”

The Swedish One Health Network (OHS) was initiated in 2010, under the name Infection Ecology and Epidemiology Network. The network has four core partners: Uppsala University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Swedish Veterinary Institute and the Linnaeus University, and welcomes individual members from all universities, institutes and health related organisations nationwide. The main focus is on zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance issues. The members are mainly physicians, veterinarians, biologists, ecologists, microbiologists, health economists and other health professionals interested in such topics and interdisciplinary research. For more information, please see www.onehealth.se/ohs .

Since the start almost four years ago, OHS regularly arranges a large annual scientific meeting, smaller research pubs with more informal presentations, and seminars targeting health professionals, research funding councils, politicians, policymakers and the general public. OHS has also launched an open access electronic journal, the Infection Ecology and Epidemiology Journal (IEE Journal, please see http://journals.co-action.net/index.php/iee/index) to facilitate publication of multi- and interdisciplinary One Health related scientific papers from all over the world. Furthermore, OHS has supported the development of cooperation between the veterinary medicine and human medicine graduate programmes in Uppsala.

One Health is by definition a global initiative, and hence it is of profound importance to actively participate in international networks as well. Colleagues from the original One Health Initiative (Laura Kahn and Jack Woodall) and CDC (Carol Rubin) have, together with European researchers, been invited to give presentations at the annual scientific meetings, and members of the OHS steering committee and also other network members have attended the international One Health Congresses in Melbourne and Bangkok respectively. Furthermore, a study visit has been made to Immuno Valley in the Netherlands.

As the OHS steering committee is continuously aiming at developing and strengthening the national network and its international contacts, we made a decision to contact colleagues with a strong interest in One Health issues in the US, for further exchange of ideas and inspiration. Hence a group of four persons – two physicians and two veterinarians, all involved in One Health research activities - (Karin Artursson, Björn Olsen and Lotta Berg from the steering committee, and Josef Järhult who is one of the most active members of the network) went to North Carolina and Florida in the end of November - beginning of December 2013. The main aims were to strengthen our international network, investigate the possibilities for future research cooperation, obtain information on various ways of designing undergraduate training and graduate programmes to integrate physicians, veterinarians, public health officials and others working with a One Health focus, to discuss the context and contents of the One Health concept, and also to discuss methods for informing and influencing policy makers and politicians about One Health in an efficient and transparent way.

We were fortunate to meet with several well-renowned One Health profiles in the South-Eastern U.S. First, Karin Artursson visited the Research Triangle Park region of central North Carolina to meet Cheryl Stroud and Suzanne Kennedy-Stoskopf,  Chair and Co-Chair of the North Carolina One Health Collaborative (NC OHC).   Karin also shared information about One Health Sweden with Betsy Hilborn, Janice Dye and Whitney Krueger who work with the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and enjoyed a tour of the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine.  Being part of the Research Triangle Park region, the four year old NC OHC has been able to engage representatives from local universities, state and federal government agencies, and companies in One Health conversations and endeavors. A course, ´One Health: From Philosophy to Practical Integration of Human, Animal, and Environmental Health' , cross-listed among Duke University, the University of North Carolina, and North Carolina State University is offered within the public discussion forum. Cheryl Stroud has recently also been appointed Executive Director of the One Health Commission, a non-profit organization founded in the U.S. just a few years ago. The Commission seeks to connect One Health leaders to work collaboratively on One Health projects and promotion. 

The entire group then met with the One Health Initiative profile Bruce Kaplan in Sarasota, where we discussed how the One Health concept has evolved in the US and in other parts of the world, ongoing activities and initiatives, various definitions of One Health and their implications. In research, One Health doesn’t mean that all projects will need to involve researchers from all possible disciplines, but that there should be an awareness of the importance of linking the results from different projects together to paint a bigger picture. Furthermore, there is a need to define each research project in its own context, not just as a “One Health project” (e.g. antibiotic resistance, zoonotic infections etc.). Other aspects mentioned were the importance of individuals, both when it comes to active researchers being able to continuously push One Health aspects, and when it comes to the significance of having individual faces to illustrate the consequences of failure to apply a relevant One Health approach in public health, to bring the concept to a personal level that will make the public and hence the politicians more aware of these issues.

We then continued to Gainesville and the University of Florida (UF), where our host Greg Gray at the Emerging Pathogens Institute and his colleagues and co-workers there and at the College of Veterinary Medicine (including Paul Gibbs, Glenn Morris, James Lloyd and more) informed us about how the university is working on One Health issues, including emerging and re-emerging diseases, food safety and antibiotic resistance, nationally in the US and also internationally also in rather remote parts of the world. It became quite obvious that regardless of country of origin, we share experiences both in relation to successful research projects and in relation to a certain amount of frustration linked to the challenges in communicating the results to achieve impact at the central authority and policy-making level. The possibilities of formalising future cooperation between the Emerging Pathogens Institute and the institutions forming OHS were further discussed. Concrete projects were mentioned as well, especially in relation to influenza viruses and antibiotic resistance respectively, and Björn Olsen and Josef Järhult were given the opportunity to present some OHS-related projects at a seminar at UF. We also enjoyed a tour of the top-modern animal hospital facilities at UF.

Finally, Björn Olsen, Lotta Berg and Josef Järhult continued to Tallahassee, to meet with Carina Blackmore at the Florida Department of Health and with Lisa Conti at the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, both being veterinarians with a strong interest in and vast experience from One Health related work at competent authorities. We found the discussions about how politics may influence One Health legislation, policy making and priorities highly interesting and very relevant also from a European perspective, although current policies – for examples on the use of antibiotics in animal and plant production – may be different. Risk communication, ‘story-telling’ (e.g. about cases of zoonotic diseases) and the involvement of veterinarians, infectious disease physicians and ecologists together in outbreak prevention and response work were other topics discussed. Also at this meeting various possibilities of future research cooperation were mentioned, especially with a focus on water sampling and antiviral residues in waste water effluents.

In summary, we found this intensive trip to be very well invested time and money, with excellent and quite concrete outcomes in terms of knowledge exchange and plans for future contacts and cooperation. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everybody who took their time to meet us and make our stay valuable, both in terms of professional knowledge and in terms of hospitality and introduction to the beautiful state of Florida, and to the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency for financially supporting this trip.

Reported by Dr. Lotta Berg for the OHS Steering Committee

NEW One Health Journal Announcement – Basel, Switzerland

The new online open access journal Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381, http://www.mdpi.com/journal/vetsci) will focus on publishing original studies and reviews with species comparisons of physiology, disease pathogenesis and/or treatment. Therefore, its editorial staff aims to attract publications about zoonotic diseases as well as spontaneous and experimental animal models of human disease. As a result, we hope that this new journal will become a valuable publication avenue for authors writing about “One Health” topics. We are excited to join with the One Health Initiative as it demonstrates the benefits of cooperation between all health care professionals in order to solve some of the world’s most difficult health problems.

Medical science is informed by the study of animal physiology and pathophysiology, both spontaneous and induced. The complete sequencing of the genomes of multiple species has opened up the opportunity to systematically compare genetic similarities and differences from one animal species to another as well as to man. The overall goals of Veterinary Sciences along these lines is outlined in a published introductory editorial:

Veterinary Sciences—A Forum for One Medicine, One Health:

http://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/1/1/1

The first issue, planned for late Spring 2014, will have the following theme:

Animal Models and Better Understanding of “One Medicine”:

http://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/1/1/3

Please join Veterinary Sciences and the One Health Initiative as we seek to highlight that knowledge of many species is crucial to the health of man and the planet.

Duncan C. Ferguson, VMD, PhD, DACVIM, DACVCP

Editor-in-Chief

Margarethe Hoenig, Dr. med. vet., PhD, Associate Editor

The One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono team congratulates and strongly endorses Drs. Ferguson and Hoenig’s new visionary One Health Journal endeavor.

One Health Project 2013 - Report

Northeast Branch of the American Society for Microbiology in association with The Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine of Tufts University and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) University

“One Health is: “a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of health care for humans, animals and the environment” (http://www.onehealthinitiative.com).   The One Health Initiative promotes the idea that the health of people, animals and the environment are inextricably linked. 

While the concept is widely supported, operationalizing the concept in daily professional practice has been challenging.  In recognition of the difficulties in promoting the One Health initiative among health professionals, the Northeast Branch of the American Society for Microbiology (NEB-ASM) proposed to host two forums in Massachusetts to engage undergraduates, graduate students and professional students in a discussion of One Health, and assess both their enthusiasm for the concept and their ideas about promoting it.  The goal was to explore earlier introduction of the One Health concept into pre-professional and professional education in an attempt to incorporate it as part of preparation for the health professions.

The forums were held in the evening in Boston in the spring and Worcester in the fall.  Invitations were sent by e-mail to student lists at colleges and universities in the area, and through the schools.  Distinguished multidisciplinary panels of experts provided their perspectives on One Health and attendees were engaged in discussion.  The program was then evaluated by the participants and ideas for promoting One Health were solicited. …”

Please see complete report with summaries of the forums in attached PDF http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/publications/NEB-ASMOneHealth%20Report%20November%2029%202013.pdf as provided by Dr. Alfred DeMaria:

“The attached is the expanded report on the forums we held this year.  Next year the Northeast Branch of ASM is proposing to do a focus group of high school teachers about curriculum and a One Health Day at Tufts Cumming School of Veterinary Medicine for undergraduates.”

Alfred DeMaria, Jr., MD

Medical Director

Bureau of Infectious Disease

State Epidemiologist

Massachusetts Department of Public Health

William A. Hinton State Laboratory Institute

305 South Street

Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts 02130

617-983-6550

Fax: 617-983-6925

Alfred.DeMaria@state.ma.us

Dr. DeMaria is a One Health supporter/advocate http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/supporters.php.

New 2013 One Health textbook available…

Zoonoses: Protecting People and Their Pets

Please see: http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Products/zoonoses-protecting-people-and-their-pets.php?lang=en

First Edition, 2013: The Center for Food Security and Public Health (CFSPH) – Iowa State University, USA

Edited by:

Glenda Dvorak, DVM, MS, MPH, DACVPM
James A. Roth, DVM, PhD, DACVM
Gregory C. Gray, MD, MPH, FIDSA
Bruce Kaplan, DVM

Companion animals play an important role in the lives of humans. In addition to companionship, the human-animal bond can enhance human health and quality of life in many positive ways. Interactions can have human health implications, if proper preventive measures are not taken. Bites, scratches, and zoonotic diseases – diseases transmissible between animals and humans – may be possible.

This textbook was developed to help human and veterinary healthcare professionals and students enhance their knowledge of zoonotic diseases, especially those associated with companion animal species. Partnerships between human, veterinary and public health professionals are needed to raise awareness, enhance detection, and promote prevention for zoonotic diseases to protect the health of humans and pets. The textbook also provides educational materials to educate clients, patients and staff on the risks and prevention of zoonotic diseases.

Chapter 1: Companion Animal Zoonotic Diseases: An Overview
Chapter 2: The Human-Animal Bond
Chapter 3: Animal Bites, Scratches and Disease Transmission
Chapter 4: Companion Animal Zoonoses and Immunocompromised Individuals
Chapter 5: Companion Animal Zoonoses and Children
Chapter 6: Environmental Zoonoses: Shared Environments, Shared Risks
Chapter 7: Principles of Treatment and Prevention for Zoonotic Diseases
Chapter 8: Technical Fact Sheets for Zoonotic Diseases of Animals
Chapter 9: Color Images for Zoonotic Diseases of Companion Animals
Chapter 10: Zoonotic Disease Awareness and Prevention Educational Handouts

This development of this textbook was a One Health effort involving input and review from a number of human and veterinary medical experts. Contributing authors and reviewers for the textbook include:  Margaret Chorazy, MPH, PhD; Lisa Conti, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, CPM, CEHP; Kathleen F. Gensheimer, MD, MPH; Rebecca Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN; Laura Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP; Kerry Leedom Larson, DVM, MPH, PhD, DACVPM; William McCulloch, DVM, MPH; Peter M. Rabinowitz, MD, MPH; Gary Simpson, MD, PhD, MPH; and Anna Rovid-Spickler, DVM, PhD. Forewords by Tina Parker, DVM, MSPH, RN and Lyle Petersen, MD, MPH, and Roger Mahr, DVM and the One Health Commission Board of Directors are included.

Outstanding “One Health” program at Ohio State University, College of Veterinary Medicine (USA)

"One Health" explores efforts to address the links between animal health, human health, and our environment.

At Ohio State, the concept of one health allows us to address a triple threat to health in an integrated way. The College of Veterinary Medicine recognizes the importance of addressing issues in animal health, human health and environmental health. We are expanding several programs to meet the challenges in all three areas. …  

Please read more at: http://vet.osu.edu/cvm/one-health-college-veterinary-medicine

Extraordinary One Health Comparative Medicine Researchers and Visionary One Health Leaders Honored by Puccini Foundation

October 29, 2013—President and Founder of the Puccini Foundation Puccini Foundation in New York City (USA), Linda Cohen Wassong, BS, honored two extraordinary cancer researchers, a veterinarian Philip J. Bergman, DVM, MS, PhD and physician Jedd D. Wolchok, MD, PhD with Puccini Foundation Awards, October 29, 2013.  Drs. Bergman and Wolchok were given awards for their collaborative work on the Canine Melanoma Vaccine.  Bergman is the Director of Clinical Studies for VCA-Antech (“Veterinary Centers of America”) http://www.vcaantech.com/about.htm and is the principal veterinary investigator for the recently fully licensed canine melanoma vaccine (Oncept). He is also an adjunct faculty member of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and continues to expand his cancer vaccine program within the VCA Antech network.  Wolchok is currently the Daniel K. Ludwig Chair in Clinical Investigation; Director, immunotherapy Clinical Trials; Assoc. Attending Physician, Melanoma-Sarcoma; Laboratory Head; Assoc. Director, Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  Bergman and Wolchok also are listed as Contributors on the Florida Department of Health’s popular One Health Newsletter http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-from-animals/one-health-newsletter/index.html. Veterinarian Roger K. Mahr, DVM and physician Laura H. Kahn, MD, MPH, MPP were also recognized for their visionary leadership, commitment, and achievements in the One Health movement.  Dr. Mahr, a past President of the American Veterinary Medical Association, is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the One Health Commission www.onehealthcommission.org and Dr. Kahn is a co-founder of the One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono team www.onehealthinitiative.com.

President and Founder of the Puccini Foundation in New York City (USA) Endorses and Supports One Health

“The Puccini Foundation has a mission centered upon the One Health approach, and is dedicated towards eliminating cancer of all types in both people and animals through educational outreach and providing support towards comparative oncology research programs. 

The core focus of comparative oncology is a natural progression of the goals of the One Health Initiative and has long been under the umbrella of the One Health concept during the 20^th and early 21^st centuries.  A major goal of the One Health Initiative is the interaction of education systems within veterinary medical schools, schools of public health and human medical schools.  My work as a member of the One Health Commission’s www.onehealthcommission.org board of directors has been to help encourage partnerships in the development and evaluation of new diagnostic methods, medicines and vaccines for the prevention and control of cross-species diseases.”

Linda Cohen Wassong, BS

Puccini Foundation

Biography

Member of the One Health Initiative Supporter list http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/supporters.php.

Note: Provided to One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono team/One Health Initiative website on November 19, 2013

Dean of Major U.S. College of Veterinary Medicine Endorses One Health

One Health Initiative – University of Florida (USA)

As most of us would agree, the ‘One Health’ concept is a global strategy to enhance human, animal, and environmental health from an interdisciplinary perspective.  It recognizes and seeks to leverage the synergies between veterinary medicine, human medicine, and public health from a solid, common foundation in biomedical and environmental sciences.  Because of its truly singular complement of core scientific strengths and its crucial geographic location, the University of Florida (UF) is uniquely positioned to become a world leader in this exciting arena.

Notable existing institutional strengths at UF related to ‘One Health’ can be found across numerous Colleges, Institutes and Centers.  Individual UF units with faculty and core facilities engaged in ‘One Health’ include the Health Science Center (comprised of the Colleges of Dentistry, Nursing, Medicine, Pharmacy, Public Health and Health Professions, and Veterinary Medicine), the Emerging Pathogens Institute, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the Cancer and Genetics Institute, the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the Florida Climate Institute, the Center for African Studies, the Center for Latin American Studies, the College of Engineering, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

To build on these noteworthy existing programs, UF is embarking upon an initiative to hire several accomplished senior scientists to further enhance academic and research excellence with a focus on ‘One Health.’  Of note, this growing partnership between the College of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Public Health and Health Professions, and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is rooted in Florida lawmakers’ designation of UF as “preeminent” this past spring, which was accompanied by a substantial increase in state support with the goal of UF achieving “Top 10” public university status.  The new hires will be affiliated with the new UF One Health Center of Excellence, with faculty status in the Emerging Pathogens Institute and a tenure home in an appropriate UF department.

We are excited about the opportunity to advance ‘One Health’ as a part of UF’s preeminence designation and look forward to sharing more information with you soon about our progress.  In the meantime, don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

James W. Lloyd, DVM, PhD
Dean, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine (USA)
www.vetmed.ufl.edu

Note:  Dr. Lloyd’s endorsement comments to the One Health Initiative website on November 14, 2013 accurately reflect the One Health movement’s history of the past few years, i.e. the University of Florida has indeed assumed a significant role among the many national and international One Health silos.  This has been primarily due to the leadership of physician Greg Gray, MD, MPH, FIDSA - Professor and Chair, Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions; Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine; and Director, Global Pathogens Laboratory, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fl (USA).  Among other One Health national and international activity achievements, Dr. Gray has helped establish the first One Health PhD program at a major university [University of Florida] and served with distinction on the OHI Honorary Advisory Board http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/advBoard.php.

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) welcomes abstract submissions for oral or poster presentation at the 2014 Annual Conference on Vaccine Research (ACVR), scheduled for April 28-30, 2014 in Bethesda, MD

COLLABORATING ORGANIZATIONS

Albert B. Sabin Vaccine Institute, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH), One Health Initiative, Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists

The 2 ½ day conference provides a forum for high-quality, current reports of scientific progress and best practices, and brings together the diverse disciplines involved in the research and development of vaccines and associated technologies for disease control through immunization.

Join international scientists and researchers, healthcare professionals and trainees, veterinarians, vaccine manufacturers, and public health officials at this exciting conference designed to encourage the exchange of ideas across a broad range of disciplines.

Additionally, NFID invites individuals in the early stages of their career in any field of vaccinology to apply for the Maurice R. Hilleman Early-Stage Career Investigator Award which includes $10,000 to support future research.

 Ready to submit?

 Visit the online abstract submission site now

  Deadline for abstract submittals is 11:59 PM EST, December 2, 2013.

Important Note: 

The One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono team was advised November 6, 2013 that “The One Health theme was something that NFID’s planning committee discussed in great detail so we are hoping that the theme will be seen in not only the invited speakers, but the abstract submissions.”

Note: Originally posted on One Health Initiative website November 11, 2013