One Health Publications

Research (Published online: 05-05-2017)

3. Brucellosis: Community, medical and veterinary workers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices in Northern Uganda - Harriet Muloki Nabirye, Joseph Erume, George William Nasinyama, Joseph Morison Kungu, Jesca Nakavuma, Duncan Ongeng and David Okello Owiny

International Journal of One Health, 3: 12-18

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed at determining the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the community, medical and veterinary workers regarding brucellosis.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at selected health facilities in Apac, Gulu, Lira, and Pader districts of Northern Uganda using a standardized questionnaire. A total of 251 patients testing positive for brucellosis using the Brucella plate agglutination test, 59 medical and 29 veterinary workers were studied. Chi-square test at 95% confidence level was used to analyze data.

Results: Only 8% patients, 15.3% medical, and 21.4% veterinary workers were knowledgeable on transmission methods and symptoms for brucellosis and knowledge differed according to the level of education among patients (p=0.001), medical (p=0.001), and veterinary workers (p=0.012). Over 80% patients, medical and veterinary workers had a positive attitude. Only 8% patients, 13.6% medical, and 7.1% veterinary workers had good practices regarding brucellosis control.

Conclusion: Poor knowledge, poor practices, and positive attitude provide an opportunity for health education and policy formulation for the control of brucellosis. The prevalence studies of human and animal brucellosis are recommended to determine the magnitude of the problem.

http://www.onehealthjournal.org/Vol.3/3.html

Arab Official Magazine...

Advancing Sustainable Social Development and Well-Being For All

 George R Lueddeke, PhD , Chair, One Health Education Task Force , One Health Commission Southampton, United Kingdom

 19 March 2017

The One Health movement and ‘the world we need’

“... The One Health movement - spearheaded by the One Health Commission and the One Health Initiative - that  recognizes ‘the inter-dependencies in the health (and well-being) of people, other animals and the environment in which we live” unquestionably provides the essence for the enduring “unity” the WWF Director General is seeking. ...” 

http://www.arabhealthonline.com/issues/issue-2-2017/advancing-sustainable-social-development-and-well-being-for-all-implementing-the-un-2030-global-goals-through-the-one-health-concept-and-education/

Environmental amoebas came before animals as hosts to bacteria

Citation: Strassmann JE, Shu L (2017) Ancient bacteria–amoeba relationships and pathogenic animal bacteria. PLoS Biol 15(5): e2002460. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2002460

http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.2002460

Abstract

Long before bacteria infected humans, they infected amoebas, which remain a potentially important reservoir for human disease. Diverse soil amoebas including Dictyostelium and Acanthamoeba can host intracellular bacteria. Though the internal environment of free-living amoebas is similar in many ways to that of mammalian macrophages, they differ in a number of important ways, including temperature. A new study in PLOS Biology by Taylor-Mulneix et al. demonstrates that Bordetella bronchiseptica has two different gene suites that are activated depending on whether the bacterium finds itself in a hot mammalian or cool amoeba host environment. This study specifically shows that B. bronchiseptica not only inhabits amoebas but can persist and multiply through the social stage of an amoeba host, Dictyostelium discoideum.

“WVA President Dr. René Carlson says: “The availability and use of antimicrobials are essential to ensure the good health and welfare of animals as well as people. After years of promoting awareness about the dangers of misusing antimicrobials, it is time we recognise the actions organisations around the world are taking to promote the responsible use of antimicrobials in both animals and people to prevent further development of antimicrobial resistance and the proper disposal of antimicrobials to protect our environment, such as our waterways and oceans. This is a One Health issue for which all health care providers, both human and veterinary, must take personal responsibility”.”

The OIE and the WVA jointly celebrate World Veterinary Day 2017

On World Veterinary Day, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Veterinary Association (WVA) http://www.worldvet.org/ pay tribute to the crucial role played by veterinarians in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. This year, the event focuses on the action the profession can take to preserve the efficacy of antimicrobial treatments, which are essential resources to protect human health as well as animal health and welfare. Throughout the day, and all around the world, the many initiatives led by veterinarians to raise awareness on this essential issue in their countries will come under the spotlight.

THEME 2017

ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE - FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION

Paris/Brussels, 29 April 2017 – The availability and use of antimicrobial drugs has transformed the practice of human and animal medicine. Infections that were once lethal are now treatable, and the use of antimicrobial agents has advanced global health as well as animal health, which is a key component of animal welfare, food security and safety.

Safeguarding the efficacy of these life-saving medications, as well as their availability and effectiveness for both human and veterinary use, is essential to preserve our future. However, overuse and misuse of these drugs in humans, animals and plants sectors has dramatically accelerated the emergence of resistance to antimicrobials.

During its General Assembly in September 2016, the United Nations acknowledged that “Antmicrobial resistance reduces our ability to protect the health of animals and therefore is threatening safe and sustainable food and agriculture production". 

Veterinary practitioners have a key part to play in the fight against antimicrobial resistance: they are the direct interlocutors of paraprofessionals as well as farmers and animal owners, and can trigger a sustainable change in behaviour towards a responsible and prudent antimicrobial use.

“Through their role in supervising the use of antimicrobials, offering professional advice to farmers and animal owners and collaborating with the human health sector, veterinarians have a key role to play in combatting the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. They are at the forefront to promote sound animal husbandry hygiene methods and the implementation of accurate vaccination strategies” highlights Dr Monique Eloit, OIE Director General. “They have the responsibility to raise awareness among farmers and animal owners on the prudent use of antibiotics and these actions are supported worldwide by the OIE Global Strategy against antimicrobial resistance”. 

WVA President Dr René Carlson says: “The availability and use of antimicrobials are essential to ensure the good health and welfare of animals as well as people. After years of promoting awareness about the dangers of misusing antimicrobials, it is time we recognise the actions organisations around the world are taking to promote the responsible use of antimicrobials in both animals and people to prevent further development of antimicrobial resistance and the proper disposal of antimicrobials to protect our environment, such as our waterways and oceans. This is a One Health issue for which all health care providers, both human and veterinary, must take personal responsibility”.

 ARTICIPATE IN THE WORLD VETERINARY DAY AWARD 2017!

Spread the word on the activities which you held at this occasion or during the year and take the chance to win the World Veterinary Day Award!

The competition is open to all WVA member associations, alone, or in cooperation with any other selected body. The winner will be announced at the Opening Ceremony of the OIE 85th General Session on 21 May 2017 (Paris, France) and the award will be presented to the winner during the World Veterinary Congress 2017 from 27th -31st August 2017 (Incheon, Rep. of Korea).

How to enter the competition?

Entries accepted until 10 May 2017

Useful links:

• OIE Strategy on Antimicrobial Resistance and the Prudent Use of Antimicrobials

• OIE Director General‘s Editorial on AMR

• OIE web portal on antimicrobial resistance

  WVA Position paper on responsible use of Antimicrobials

International Journal of One Health, 3: 7-11 ... http://www.onehealthjournal.org/

The importance of timely introduction of vancomycin therapy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia and severity of MRSA bacteremia at Teaching Hospital, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka - Jayaweera Arachchige Asela Sampath Jayaweera, Malika Karunarathne and Wikum Widuranga Kumbukgolla

Abstract l PDF See: http://www.onehealthjournal.org/Vol.3/2.pdf

New Publications in the One Health Journal Veterinary Sciences — Basel, Switzerland

The new online Open Access journal Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381, http://www.mdpi.com/journal/vetsci) published a new issue in 2017:

Vet. Sci., Volume 4, Issue 1 (March 2017)

Full text are available free of charge.

Table of Contents:

Provided to the One Health Initiative website 25 April, 2017 by:

Margie Ma

Managing Editor

Veterinary Sciences

University of Pennsylvania (USA) NEWS

https://news.upenn.edu/news/penn-vet-library-exhibit-explores-human-animal-connection-through-art

Penn Vet Library Exhibit Explores the Human-Animal Connection Through Art

Katherine Unger Baillie | kbaillie@upenn.edu | 215-898-9194

Monday, April 10, 2017

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal

Survey of Treponemal Infections in Free-Ranging and Captive Macaques, 1999–2012

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/23/5/16-1838_article

Klegarth AR, Ezeonwu CA, Rompis A, Lee B, Aggimarangsee N, Chalise M, et al. Survey of Treponemal Infections in Free-Ranging and Captive Macaques, 1999–2012. Emerg Infect Dis. 2017;23(5):816-819. https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2305.161838

Abstract

Survey results showed treponemal infection among pet macaques in Southeast Asia, a region with a high prevalence of human yaws. This finding, along with studies showing treponemal infection in nonhuman primates in Africa, should encourage a One Health approach to yaws eradication and surveillance activities, possibly including monitoring of nonhuman primates in yaws-endemic regions.

Yaws, an endemic tropical disease distinguished by bone and skin lesions, is caused by infection with Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue treponemes. Successful yaws treatment campaigns during 1950–1965 were followed by a resurgence of disease, and the World Health Organization (WHO) consequently mounted a yaws eradication campaign (1). Although the agent of yaws is spread among humans via direct contact, research has shown that nonhuman primates (NHPs) may serve as mammalian host reservoirs with the potential for zoonotic transmission (2). Successful eradication campaigns depend on there being no reservoir shielding the agent from eradication efforts; thus, the role that NHPs play in yaws among humans must be determined (3).

African Old World primates (OWPs) can be infected by T. pallidum and exhibit symptoms of yaws (2). Of note, the Treponema Fribourg-Blanc strain (isolated from a baboon in western Africa in 1966) exhibits remarkable genetic similarity to strains that cause yaws in humans (4) and in experiments, was shown capable of infecting humans (5). More recently, studies focusing on treponemal infections among NHPs in eastern Africa and the Republic of Congo showed that the NHP geographic range overlaps considerably with areas having a formerly high prevalence of yaws in humans (2).

Macaques (Macaca spp.), OWPs native to Asia and northern Africa, are susceptible to and have been experimentally infected with T. pallidum (6). After the initial WHO eradication efforts, yaws was believed to be largely eliminated from countries of mainland Asia, although reporting and active case detection have not been uniform throughout the region (7). Several island nations in Asia, however, continue to report active human yaws cases (8,9).

Macaques, the most widely distributed and numerous NHPs in the world, are sympatric with humans throughout Asia, thriving in human-altered environments and commonly kept as pets. To further characterize the role NHPs might play in the maintenance of T. pallidum subspecies, we screened an extensive archive of serum samples collected from free-ranging and captive macaques

http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/4/386

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(4), 386; doi:10.3390/ijerph14040386

Antibiotic Resistance in an Indian Rural Community: A ‘One-Health’ Observational Study on Commensal Coliform from Humans, Animals, and Water

 (This article belongs to the Section Environment Health)

View Full-Text   |   Download PDF [1082 KB, uploaded 6 April 2017]   

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are an escalating grim menace to global public health. Our aim is to phenotype and genotype antibiotic-resistant commensal Escherichia coli (E. coli) from humans, animals, and water from the same community with a ‘one-health’ approach. The samples were collected from a village belonging to demographic surveillance site of Ruxmaniben Deepchand (R.D.) Gardi Medical College Ujjain, Central India. Commensal coliforms from stool samples from children aged 1–3 years and their environment (animals, drinking water from children's households, common source- and waste-water) were studied for antibiotic susceptibility and plasmid-encoded resistance genes. E. coli isolates from human (n = 127), animal (n = 21), waste- (n = 12), source- (n = 10), and household drinking water (n = 122) carried 70%, 29%, 41%, 30%, and 30% multi-drug resistance, respectively. Extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers were 57% in human and 23% in environmental isolates. Co-resistance was frequent in penicillin, cephalosporin, and quinolone. Antibiotic-resistance genes bla_CTX-M-9 and qnrS were most frequent. Group D-type isolates with resistance genes were mainly from humans and wastewater. Colistin resistance, or the mcr-1 gene, was not detected. The frequency of resistance, co-resistance, and resistant genes are high and similar in coliforms from humans and their environment. This emphasizes the need to mitigate antibiotic resistance with a ‘one-health’ approach. View Full-Text

Worth revisiting...

One Health ‘MedMyst Magazine’ – An Important Unique Educational Publication to assist young people with their early education

Produced by Rice University Center for Technology in Teaching and Learning, Houston, Texas (USA) in partnership with Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases at The University of Texas Medical Branch. Galveston, Texas.

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

Also please explore http://medmyst.rice.edu (many other excellent programs offered for young people).

Copyright 2010 Center for Technology in Teaching and Learning.