Coliform risk assessment through use of the clam Anomalocardia brasiliana as animal sentinel for shellfish harvesting areas in Brazil's northeast

Zoonotic spillover and viral mutations from low and middle-income countries: improving prevention strategies and bridging policy gaps

The increasing frequency of zoonotic spillover events and viral mutations in low and middle-income countries presents a critical global health challenge. Contributing factors encompass cultural practices like bushmeat consumption, wildlife trade for traditional medicine, habitat disruption, and the encroachment of impoverished settlements onto natural habitats. The existing "vaccine gap" in many developing countries exacerbates the situation by allowing unchecked viral replication and the emergence of novel mutant viruses. Despite global health policies addressing the root causes of zoonotic disease emergence, there is a significant absence of concrete prevention-oriented initiatives, posing a potential risk to vulnerable populations. This article is targeted at policymakers, public health professionals, researchers, and global health stakeholders, particularly those engaged in zoonotic disease prevention and control in low and middle-income countries. The article underscores the importance of assessing potential zoonotic diseases at the animal-human interface and comprehending historical factors contributing to spillover events. To bridge policy gaps, comprehensive strategies are proposed that include education, collaborations, specialized task forces, environmental sampling, and the establishment of integrated diagnostic laboratories. These strategies advocate simplicity and unity, breaking down barriers, and placing humanity at the forefront of addressing global health challenges. Such a strategic and mental shift is crucial for constructing a more resilient and equitable world in the face of emerging zoonotic threats.

Communicating ocean and human health connections: An agenda for research and practice

The emergence of ocean and human health (OHH) science as a distinct scholarly discipline has led to increased research outputs from experts in both the natural and social sciences. Formal research on communication strategies, messaging, and campaigns related to OHH science remains limited despite its importance as part of the social processes that can make knowledge actionable. When utilized to communicate visible, local issues for targeting audiences, OHH themes hold the potential to motivate action in pursuit of solutions to environmental challenges, supplementing efforts to address large-scale, abstract, or politicized issues such as ocean acidification or climate change. Probing peer-reviewed literature from relevant areas of study, this review article outlines and reveals associations between society and the quality of coastal and marine ecosystems, as well as key themes, concepts, and findings in OHH science and environmental communication. Recommendations for future work concerning effective ocean and human health science communication are provided, creating a platform for innovative scholarship, evidence-based practice, and novel collaboration across disciplines.

Presence of enteric viruses, bioaccumulation and stability in Anomalocardia brasiliana clams (Gmelin, 1791)

Bivalve mollusks are filter feeders and may accumulate human pathogens in their tissues. Many studies demonstrated human diseases associated with bivalve consumption, especially oysters. Anomalocardia brasiliana clams are distributed along the Brazilian coastal area and are an exotic ingredient for some typical dishes in Brazil. Even though there are several reports describing the contamination of oysters and mussels with human pathogens, there is a lack of studies reporting contamination of A. brasiliana with human pathogens. An evaluation of natural microbiological contamination in A. brasiliana samples over a period of 18months (November 2014 to April 2016) showed that the bacteria indices were in accordance with Brazilian regulations (E. coli<230MPN and Salmonella sp. absent in 25g of meat). However, the enteric viruses evaluated were detected throughout the analysis period, with the highest result for the hepatitis A virus (HAV); followed by Rotavirus-A (RVA); Human Adenovirus (HAdV) and Norovirus GI (NoV GI). The bioaccumulation of enteric viruses by A. brasiliana during a period of 24h was performed using NoV GI and GII, HAV, RVA and HAdV as models. Interestingly the mollusk demonstrated different uptake behaviors in relation to these viruses throughout the time period. NoV GI was the most adsorbed virus after 24h. HAV concentration was <1% at 3h, but it increased to <10% at 8h, remaining unchanged until 12h, and decreasing to <3% at 24h; HAdV reached its highest concentration at 12h, being released by the animals and lowering to <3% at 24h. RVA bioaccumulation was unstable over time, reaching its highest values after 24h (<5%); NoV GII bioaccumulation remained <1%. Thermal inactivation of HAdV-2 in A. brasiliana was also evaluated. After the usual gentle cooking procedure using different times (0, 1, 1.5, 3 and 5mins), viral infectivity was evaluated using ICC-et-RT-qPCR. The temperature inside the DT remained <80°C over time and after 5min of cooking the HAdV reached a decay of 90% (1 log₁₀). The results showed a real warn to the consumers that can be exposed to infectious human viruses if they eat these clams improperly cooked. HAV was the most detected virus in these animals, which may lead to outbreaks. A. brasiliana exhibited distinct behavior in NoV GI bioaccumulation and persistence, pointing to the need for further studies about the cellular ligands used by these viruses to become attached to these clams.

The use of animals as a surveillance tool for monitoring environmental health hazards, human health hazards and bioterrorism

•

It discusses the use of animal sentinels for surveillance.

•

It discusses the use of animals as a surveillance tool for monitoring environmental health hazards.

•

It discusses the use of animals as a surveillance tool for monitoring human health hazards.

•

It discusses the use of animals as a surveillance tool for monitoring bioterrorism.

•

It discusses the One Health approach.

This review discusses the utilization of wild or domestic animals as surveillance tools for monitoring naturally occurring environmental and human health hazards. Besides providing early warning to natural hazards, animals can also provide early warning to societal hazards like bioterrorism. Animals are ideal surveillance tools to humans because they share the same environment as humans and spend more time outdoors than humans, increasing their exposure risk. Furthermore, the biologically compressed lifespans of some animals may allow them to develop clinical signs more rapidly after exposure to specific pathogens. Animals are an excellent channel for monitoring novel and known pathogens with outbreak potential given that more than 60 % of emerging infectious diseases in humans originate as zoonoses. This review attempts to highlight animal illnesses, deaths, biomarkers or sentinel events, to remind human and veterinary public health programs that animal health can be used to discover, monitor or predict environmental health hazards, human health hazards, or bioterrorism. Lastly, we hope that this review will encourage the implementation of animals as a surveillance tool by clinicians, veterinarians, ecosystem health professionals, researchers and governments.