Community Network Integration: An approach to alignment of One Health partners for solutions to 'Wicked' problems of antimicrobial resistance

Mapping the oral resistome: a systematic review

Studying individual ecological niches within the oral cavity is a logical first step to understanding the distribution of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs); however, it is not representative of the whole oral resistome. The aim of our systematic review was to provide a map of the oral resistome by reviewing the composition of individual niches. A total of 580 papers were retrieved from a search of all English language publications investigating the presence of oral ARGs in five electronic databases between January 2015 and August 2023. Fifteen studies [10 PCR and 5 next-generation sequencing (NGS)] were included in this review. The heterogeneity of methods precluded meta-analysis. ARGs are present throughout the oral cavity with 158 unique ARGs identified across 6 locations - supra and sub-gingival biofilm, mucosa, oropharynx, root canal system (RCS) and saliva. The supragingival biofilm had the highest resistome richness, while the RCS had the least. Tetracycline was the dominant antimicrobial resistance (AMR) class found. Three core genes were identified - tet(M), tet(O) and ermB.This review highlights the necessity of NGS studies to comprehensively characterize the oral resistome in its entirety. This is the logical foundation for future 'omics studies to truly understand the scope of the resistome and its contribution to AMR.

Reflecting on One Health in Action During the COVID-19 Response

The COVID-19 pandemic, a singular disruptive event in recent human history, has required rapid, innovative, coordinated and collaborative approaches to manage and ameliorate its worst impacts. However, the threat remains, and learning from initial efforts may benefit the response management in the future. One Health approaches to managing health challenges through multi-stakeholder engagement are underscored by an enabling environment. Here we describe three case studies from state (New South Wales, Australia), national (Ireland), and international (sub-Saharan Africa) scales which illustrate different aspects of One Health in action in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Ireland, a One Health team was assembled to help parameterise complex mathematical and resource models. In New South Wales, state authorities engaged collaboratively with animal health veterinarians and epidemiologists to leverage disease outbreak knowledge, expertise and technical and support structures for application to the COVID-19 emergency. The African One Health University Network linked members from health institutions and universities from eight countries to provide a virtual platform knowledge exchange on COVID-19 to support the response. Themes common to successful experiences included a shared resource base, interdisciplinary engagement, communication network strategies, and looking global to address local need. The One Health approaches used, particularly shared responsibility and knowledge integration, are benefiting the management of this pandemic and future One Health global challenges.