Enhancing global health security in Thailand: Strengths and challenges of initiating a One Health approach to avian influenza surveillance

Genomic diversity and evolutionary dynamics of Influenza A viruses in Colombian swine: implications for one health surveillance and control

Influenza A viruses (IAV) impose significant respiratory disease burdens in both swine and humans worldwide, with frequent human-to-swine transmission driving viral evolution in pigs and highlighting the risk at the animal-human interface. Therefore, a comprehensive One Health approach (interconnection among human, animal, and environmental health) is needed for IAV prevention, control, and response. Animal influenza genomic surveillance remains limited in many Latin American countries, including Colombia. To address this gap, we genetically characterized 170 swine specimens from Colombia (2011-2017). Whole genome sequencing revealed a predominance of pandemic-like H1N1 lineage, with a minority belonging to H3N2 and H1N2 human seasonal-like lineage and H1N1 early classical swine lineages. Significantly, we have identified reassortant and recombinant viruses (H3N2, H1N1) not previously reported in Colombia. This suggests a broad genotypic viral diversity, likely resulting from reassortment between classical endemic viruses and new introductions established in Colombia's swine population (e.g. the 2009 H1N1 pandemic). Our study highlights the importance of a One Health approach in disease control, particularly in an ecosystem where humans are a main source of IAV to swine populations, and emphasizes the need for continued surveillance and enhanced biosecurity measures. The co-circulation of multiple subtypes in regions with high swine density facilitates viral exchange, underscoring the importance of monitoring viral evolution to inform vaccine selection and public health policies locally and globally.

Risk distribution of human infections with avian influenza A (H5N1, H5N6, H9N2 and H7N9) viruses in China

Background

This study aimed to investigate epidemiologic characteristics of major human infection with avian influenza and explore the factors underlying the spatial distributions, particularly H5N6 and H9N2, as H9N2 could directly infect mankind and contribute partial or even whole internal genes to generate novel human-lethal reassortants such as H5N6. They pose potential threats to public health and agriculture.

Methods

This study collected cases of H5N1, H5N6, H9N2, and H7N9 in China, along with data on ecoclimatic, environmental, social and demographic factors at the provincial level. Boosted regression tree (BRT) models, a popular approach to ecological studies, has been commonly used for risk mapping of infectious diseases, therefore, it was used to investigate the association between these variables and the occurrence of human cases for each subtype, as well as to map the probabilities of human infections.

Results

A total of 1,123 H5N1, H5N6, H9N2, and H7N9 human cases have been collected in China from 2011 to 2024. Factors including density of pig and density of human population emerged as common significant predictors for H5N1 (relative contributions: 5.3, 5.8%), H5N6 (10.8, 6.4%), H9N2 (11.2, 7.3%), and H7N9 (9.4, 8.0%) infection. Overall, each virus has its own ecological and social drivers. The predicted distribution probabilities for H5N1, H5N6, H9N2, and H7N9 presence are highest in Guangxi, Sichuan, Guangdong, and Jiangsu, respectively, with values of 0.86, 0.96, 0.93 and 0.99.

Conclusion

This study highlighted the important role of social and demographic factors in the infection of different avian influenza, and suggested that monitoring and control of predicted high-risk areas should be prioritized.

H5 and H9 avian influenza - potential re-emergent zoonotic threats to humans

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review aims to discuss the current state of human infections with Avian Influenza A (H5) and (H9) viruses, to support awareness of the global epidemiology among clinicians and public health professionals interested in emerging respiratory infections.

RECENT FINDINGS

Among increasing numbers of detections in avian species of Avian Influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b globally, reported human cases of severe infection have been rare.Enhanced surveillance of persons exposed to avian species infected with Influenza A (H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b in different countries has identified small numbers of asymptomatic individuals with Avian Influenza A (H5N1) detected by PCR from the upper respiratory tract; some of these instances have been considered to represent contamination rather than infection.There have also been recent sporadic human cases of Avian Influenza A(H9N2) internationally, including in China and Cambodia.

SUMMARY

Human infections with Avian Influenza A(H5) and (H9) viruses remain of interest as an emerging infection both to clinicians and public health professionals. While maintaining effective surveillance is essential, one health strategies to control infection in avian species will be key to mitigating these risks.

The application of the One Health approach in the management of five major zoonotic diseases using the World Bank domains: A scoping review

The international authorities, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Health Organization, World Organization for Animal Health, United Nations Environment Programme, and World Bank, have endorsed the One Health concept as an effective approach to optimize the health of people, animals, and the environment. The One Health concept is considered as an integrated and unifying approach with the objective of sustainably balancing and optimizing the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. Despite variations in its definitions, the underlying principle remains consistent - recognizing the interconnected and interdependent health of humans, animals, and the environment, necessitating interdisciplinary collaboration to optimize health outcomes. The One Health approach has been applied in numerous countries for detecting, managing, and controlling diseases. Moreover, the concept has found application in various areas, including antimicrobial resistance, food safety, and ecotoxicology, with a growing demand. There is a growing consensus that the One Health concept and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals mutually reinforce each other. The World Bank has recommended five domains as foundational building blocks for operationalising the One Health approach, which includes: i) One Health stakeholders, roles, and responsibilities; ii) financial and personal resources; iii) communication and information; iv) technical infrastructure; and v) governance. The domains provide a generalised overview of the One Health concept and guide to its application. We conducted a scoping review following the five-staged Arksey and O'Malley's framework. The objective of the review was to map and synthesise available evidence of application of the One Health approach to five major zoonotic diseases using the World Bank domains. Publications from the year 2004, marking the inception of the term 'One Health,' to 2022 were included. Information was charted and categorised against the World Bank domains identified as a priori. We included 1132 records obtained from three databases: Embase, Medline, and Global Health; as well as other sources. After excluding duplicates, screening for titles and abstracts, and full text screening, 20 articles that contained descriptions of 29 studies that implemented the One Health approach were selected for the review. We found that included studies varied in the extent to which the five domains were utilised. Less than half the total studies (45%) used all the five domains and none of the studies used all the sub-domains. The environmental sector showed an underrepresentation in the application of the One Health approach to zoonotic diseases as 14 (48%) studies in 10 articles did not mention it as a stakeholder. Sixty two percent of the studies mentioned receiving support from international partners in implementing the One Health approach and 76% of the studies were supported by international donors to conduct the studies. The review identified disparate funding mechanisms employed in the implementation of the One Health approach. However, there were limited discussions on plans for continuity and viability of these funding mechanisms in the future.

Global Mapping and Visualization Analysis of One Health Knowledge in the COVID-19 Context

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the health, social, and economic systems, triggering lasting damage and exposing the complexity of the problem beyond just being a health emergency. This crisis has highlighted the need for a comprehensive and collaborative strategy to successfully counter infectious diseases and other global challenges. With the COVID-19 pandemic pushing One Health to the forefront of global health and sustainable development agendas, this concept has emerged as a potential approach for addressing these challenges. In the context of COVID-19, this study investigates global knowledge about One Health by examining its state, significant contributions, and future directions. It seeks to offer an integrated framework of insights guiding the development of well-informed decisions. A comprehensive search using the Scopus database was conducted, employing specific terms related to One Health and COVID-19. VOSviewer 1.6.19 software was used to generate network visualization maps. Countries' research output was adjusted based on their gross domestic product (GDP) and population size. The study identified a total of 527 publications. The United States led with 134 documents (25.4%), but India topped the adjusted ranking. One Health journal stood as the most common outlet for disseminating knowledge (49 documents; 9.3%), while Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States emerged as the most prolific institution (13 documents; 2.5%). Key topics were related to the virus transmission mechanisms, climate change impacts, antimicrobial resistance, ecosystem health, preparedness, collaboration, community engagement, and developing of efficient surveillance systems. The study emphasizes how critical it is to capitalize on the present momentum of COVID-19 to advance One Health concepts. Integrating social and environmental sciences, and a variety of professions for better interaction and collaboration is crucial. Additionally, increased funding for developing countries, and legislative empowerment are vital to advance One Health and boost disease prevention.

Toward One Health: a spatial indicator system to model the facilitation of the spread of zoonotic diseases

Recurrent outbreaks of zoonotic infectious diseases highlight the importance of considering the interconnections between human, animal, and environmental health in disease prevention and control. This has given rise to the concept of One Health, which recognizes the interconnectedness of between human and animal health within their ecosystems. As a contribution to the One Health approach, this study aims to develop an indicator system to model the facilitation of the spread of zoonotic diseases. Initially, a literature review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement to identify relevant indicators related to One Health. The selected indicators focused on demographics, socioeconomic aspects, interactions between animal and human populations and water bodies, as well as environmental conditions related to air quality and climate. These indicators were characterized using values obtained from the literature or calculated through distance analysis, geoprocessing tasks, and other methods. Subsequently, Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) techniques, specifically the Entropy and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods, were utilized to combine the indicators and create a composite metric for assessing the spread of zoonotic diseases. The final indicators selected were then tested against recorded zoonoses in the Valencian Community (Spain) for 2021, and a strong positive correlation was identified. Therefore, the proposed indicator system can be valuable in guiding the development of planning strategies that align with the One Health principles. Based on the results achieved, such strategies may prioritize the preservation of natural landscape features to mitigate habitat encroachment, protect land and water resources, and attenuate extreme atmospheric conditions.

Emerging and re-emerging zoonotic viral diseases in Southeast Asia: One Health challenge

The ongoing significant social, environmental, and economic changes in Southeast Asia (SEA) make the region highly vulnerable to the emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic viral diseases. In the last century, SEA has faced major viral outbreaks with great health and economic impact, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), arboviruses, highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1), and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV); and so far, imported cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Given the recent challenging experiences in addressing emerging zoonotic diseases, it is necessary to redouble efforts to effectively implement the "One Health" initiative in the region, which aims to strengthen the human-animal-plant-environment interface to better prevent, detect and respond to health threats while promoting sustainable development. This review provides an overview of important emerging and re-emerging zoonotic viral diseases in SEA, with emphasis on the main drivers behind their emergency, the epidemiological situation from January 2000 to October 2022, and the importance of One Health to promote improved intervention strategies.

Risk perceptions of avian influenza among poultry farmers on smallholder farms along border areas of Thailand

Introduction

Thailand has not reported any cases of avian influenza since 2008. However, avian influenza viruses circulating in poultry in neighboring countries may have potential for transmission to humans. The aim of this study was to assess risk perceptions of poultry farmers and traders in three border provinces of Thailand adjacent to Laos.

Materials and methods

Poultry farmers and traders were interviewed in-person during October-December 2021 by health and livestock officials using a standardized questionnaire to collect demographics, job histories, knowledge, and practices related to avian influenza. Knowledge and practices were scored using 22 questions with a 5-point scale. Exploratory data analysis scores above and below the 25th percentile was used as the cut-off point for perception scores. The cut-off point was used to describe perceptions of respondent characteristics in order to compare differences between groups with more or < 10 years of experience. Age adjusted perceptions of disease risk were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression.

Results

Of the 346 respondents, the median risk perception score was 77.3% (22 questions with a 5-point scale, so the total score was 110). Having more than 10 years of experience in poultry farming was significantly associated with an increased perception of the risk of avian influenza (adjusted odds ratio 3.9, 95% confidence interval 1.1-15.1). Thirty-two percent of participants perceived avian influenza as a risk only during the winter season, and more than one-third of the participants (34.4%) had not received recent information about new viral strains of avian influenza.

Discussion

Participants did not perceive some key information on the risks associated with avian influenza. Regular training on the risks of avian influenza could be provided by national, provincial and/or local officials and they, in turn, could share what they learn with their communities. Participants who had greater experience in poultry farming were associated with greater risk perception. Experienced poultry farmers and traders working on poultry farms can be a part of the community mentorship program to share their experiences and knowledge on avian influenza with new poultry producers to improve their perception of disease risk.