In considering the different aspects of integrated
approaches to human, animal and environmental health along a One Health
paradigm, so many of the challenges seem to boil down to the challenge of how
to get information to flow in ways it has not in the past. Here are some
examples:
Disease Surveillance:
A number of groups, including the National Academy of Sciences have called for
the development of systems that integrate human and animal disease surveillance
data. This could allow for improved detection of emerging disease threats in
the environment, both infectious and toxic. The Yale Human Animal MedicineProject has performed analyses supporting the promise of such data integration. But at present, disease surveillance is collected separately by human and
animal health agencies, and not shared in a systematic fashion. As a result, we
are still limited in our understanding of what the occurrence of disease events
in animal populations (think white nose syndrome in bats or colony collapse in
honeybees) means for human health. The Canary Database is one resource for at
least examining this issue. We are also therefore
limited in our ability to detect and predict human health problems related to
environmental change. It will take political as well as scientific will to reorganize
such information sharing, but it needs to happen.
Environmental risk data:
Part of the challenge
of integrating human, animal, and environmental health is having adequate data
about environmental risks, whether climate change, wildlife populations, or
degree of contamination by biological, chemical, and/or physical hazards. While
animal disease data can provide “sentinel” information about environmental risk
“shared” by animals and humans,
there is often a need to better characterize environments: getting this
information often involves getting out in the environment and finding out what
is going on, and transmitting that information to both human health and public
health and animal health professionals.
Genomic data:
The genomes of humans
and animals hold the key to better understanding key differences and
similarities between species that could help improve the health of both humans
and animals, discovering new approaches to disease detection and treatment- see
Zoobiquity. Yet this information is
complex and vast- and to use it better will take development of new technological
approaches for comparing and exploring these genetic linkages. In addition,
better understanding of the genetic characteristics of the pathogens that cross
between humans and animals (such as influenza) can help anticipate and prevent
outbreaks of zoonotic diseases affecting both human and animal populations. The
Human Animal Medicine Project is working with several efforts to assemble and
analyze genomic data about pathogens, including the GAINS database and Zoophy.
Recent breakthroughs in DNA sequencing technology have produced vast databases
of such genetic information- what is needed is a path through this thicket of
data.
The Microbiome:
A related wealth of genetic information is accumulating
about the human “microbiome”: the communities of microbes that call our gut,
skin, and other surfaces home, and seem to have a large effect on our health
and wellness. How do our microbiomes differ from those of our companion animals
or other animals that we contact on a regular basis? Is the sharing of microbes between humans and
animals all negative or could there be some positive aspects to it that have
evolved over millennia of coexistence between humans and animals? The Human
Animal Medicine project is performing some pilot analyses of this in workers
with close exposure to livestock.
Occupational Risk:
On a more basic level, when workers have close contact with animals,
such as swine workers working in large production facilities, there is a need
to supply them (and their employers) with better information about their
occupational risk and ways to reduce such risk. Such information, such as the amount
of virus or bacteria that is present in the air and surfaces of barns and other
facilities may be critical to decisions about how to protect workers and reduce
disease transmission. While this may seem to be sensitive information, better
awareness of such information could actually benefit both human health
(occupational and food safety) as well as the health of the animals. The Human
Animal medicine project is piloting such approaches in workplaces.
The promise of One Health is the concept of rapid
information flow between human, animal, and environmental health, allowing for
early detection and prevention of emerging disease risks. If these pilot
efforts and similar initiatives around the globe continue to bear fruit there
is a chance that we are moving in the right direction toward a world with
improved health across multiple species in a healthy environment.
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