An Interdisciplinary Approach to One Health: Course Design, Development, and Delivery

Geo-temporal patterns to design cost-effective interventions for zoonotic diseases -the case of brucellosis in the country of Georgia

Introduction

Control of zoonosis can benefit from geo-referenced procedures. Focusing on brucellosis, here the ability of two methods to distinguish disease dissemination patterns and promote cost-effective interventions was compared.

Method

Geographical data on bovine, ovine and human brucellosis reported in the country of Georgia between 2014 and 2019 were investigated with (i) the Hot Spot (HS) analysis and (ii) a bio-geographical (BG) alternative.

Results

More than one fourth of all sites reported cases affecting two or more species. While ruminant cases displayed different patterns over time, most human cases described similar geo-temporal features, which were associated with the route used by migrant shepherds. Other human cases showed heterogeneous patterns. The BG approach identified small areas with a case density twice as high as the HS method. The BG method also identified, in 2018, a 2.6-2.99 higher case density in zoonotic (human and non-human) sites than in non-zoonotic sites (which only reported cases affecting a single species) -a finding that, if corroborated, could support cost-effective policy-making.

Discussion

Three dissemination hypotheses were supported by the data: (i) human cases induced by sheep-related contacts; (ii) human cases probably mediated by contaminated milk or meat; and (iii) cattle and sheep that infected one another. This proof-of-concept provided a preliminary validation for a method that may support cost-effective interventions oriented to control zoonoses. To expand these findings, additional studies on zoonosis-related decision-making are recommended.

One health: A brief appraisal of the Tripartite - UNEP definition

In 2021, the Joint Tripartite WHO-FAO-OIE plus UNEP committed to a unifying definition of "One health", seemingly distinctive in its systems approach to health. The new definition preserves core aspects of previous One Health conceptualisations. However, it also introduces emerging currents of thought which promote integration and unification, emphasise ecosystem health, and may facilitate the exploration and adoption of traditional forms of knowledge. It is argued that the operationalisation of One Health will require a foundational understanding of the factors that underpin a health issue, along with ongoing development of educational curricula that promote One Health awareness, acceptance, and adoption. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.