One Health by N. Garambone

One Health by Nina Garambone, MPH ‘17

One Health is a concept brought forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which recognized the connection between humans, animals and their environment. They have worked with physicians, ecologists and veterinarians, utilizing a “One Health” approach, to monitor for and control the spread of disease which threatens our public health. The ideas created through this coalition were brought to life during National Public Health week at a presentation titled Lessons in “One Health” in Low and Middle Income Countries: Working Across Disciplines to Improve Health. The speakers enlightened the audience through their experience researching emerging infections dealing with both animals and our environment.

                  Dr. Scarlett Magda, DVM gave a riveting talk about her work internationally with animals to control the spread of zoonotic diseases. She started her own non-for profit called “Vets International” who work in Guatemala, Chile, Thailand and Africa to provide education and veterinary care to the communities. In Guatemala, the coalition works with the local children to change behavior toward stray dogs with the goal of reducing rabies transmission through dog bites. In Chile, veterinarians work to control the spread of cystic hydatid disease which is transferred from sheep to dogs to humans and can create cysts in the liver of its host. In Thailand, Vets International have partnered with zoos to provide preventative care to elephants in rural areas with the main disease of concern being tuberculosis. Elephants are screened for TB via blood tests or truck washes and, if positive, are treated accordingly prior spreading to humans. Dr. Magda has research projects internationally to continue screening for and controlling the spread of disease.

                  The second presenter was Dr. Frederica Perera, DrPH, PhD who is a professor of environmental health at Columbia University. She spoke about the multiple threats to children’s health from fossil fuel combustion and her research which utilized biomarkers to show the link between environmental risk factor and disease. There is a growing burden of neurodevelopmental disorders and asthma in children who are exposed either in vitro or in early development. Dr. Perera’s research has shown that there are growing racial and ethnic disparities in children who experience this exposure. Her research had spanned so far as Poland and China to gather data around the effect of air pollution the youth of these communities. As she demonstrated during her presentation, there are shocking adverse effects including reduced birth weight, developmental disease, mental illness, asthma exacerbation, etc.

                  The final presentation was titled Emerging Infectious Diseases as a “One Health” Issue by Dr. Stephen Morse, professor of Epidemiology at The Columbia University Medical Center. He gave an overview of the history of infectious diseases along with reasons why new emerging infectious are still a public health threat. He emphasized that forgotten infections at times reappear, although many are novel. Additionally, emerging infections can cross zoonotic species, usually an effect of changes in environment. To prevent the spread of such diseases, the public must take specific precautions when handling animals, meat and food or working in a healthcare environment.

                  By utilizing a “One Health” approach, the presenters at this symposium were able to demonstrate how the environment affects the health of our population. It is important to continue research the causes of zoonotic disease as it is a dynamic field of work, constantly changing. By creating a coalition which spans multiple disciplines, we, as public health practitioners, will be more successful at combatting public health threats.