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Colston JM, Fang B, Houpt E, Chernyavskiy P, Swarup S, Gardner LM, Nong MK, Badr HS, Zaitchik BF, Lakshmi V, Kosek MN. The Planetary Child Health & Enterics Observatory (Plan-EO): A protocol for an interdisciplinary research initiative and web-based dashboard for mapping enteric infectious diseases and their risk factors and interventions in LMICs. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297775. [PMID: 38412156 PMCID: PMC10898779 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diarrhea remains a leading cause of childhood illness throughout the world that is increasing due to climate change and is caused by various species of ecologically sensitive pathogens. The emerging Planetary Health movement emphasizes the interdependence of human health with natural systems, and much of its focus has been on infectious diseases and their interactions with environmental and human processes. Meanwhile, the era of big data has engendered a public appetite for interactive web-based dashboards for infectious diseases. However, enteric infectious diseases have been largely overlooked by these developments. METHODS The Planetary Child Health & Enterics Observatory (Plan-EO) is a new initiative that builds on existing partnerships between epidemiologists, climatologists, bioinformaticians, and hydrologists as well as investigators in numerous low- and middle-income countries. Its objective is to provide the research and stakeholder community with an evidence base for the geographical targeting of enteropathogen-specific child health interventions such as novel vaccines. The initiative will produce, curate, and disseminate spatial data products relating to the distribution of enteric pathogens and their environmental and sociodemographic determinants. DISCUSSION As climate change accelerates there is an urgent need for etiology-specific estimates of diarrheal disease burden at high spatiotemporal resolution. Plan-EO aims to address key challenges and knowledge gaps by making and disseminating rigorously obtained, generalizable disease burden estimates. Pre-processed environmental and EO-derived spatial data products will be housed, continually updated, and made publicly available for download to the research and stakeholder communities. These can then be used as inputs to identify and target priority populations living in transmission hotspots and for decision-making, scenario-planning, and disease burden projection. STUDY REGISTRATION PROSPERO protocol #CRD42023384709.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh M. Colston
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Bin Fang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Eric Houpt
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Pavel Chernyavskiy
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Samarth Swarup
- Biocomplexity Institute, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Lauren M. Gardner
- Department of Civil and Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Malena K. Nong
- University of Virginia College of Arts & Sciences, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Hamada S. Badr
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Benjamin F. Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Venkataraman Lakshmi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Margaret N. Kosek
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
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Dulin H, Barre RS, Xu D, Neal A, Vizcarra E, Chavez J, Ulu A, Yang MS, Khan SR, Wuang K, Bhakta N, Chea C, Wilson EH, Martinez-Sobrido L, Hai R. Harnessing preexisting influenza virus-specific immunity increases antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2. J Virol 2024; 98:e0157123. [PMID: 38206036 PMCID: PMC10878257 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01571-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
In pandemic scenarios involving novel human pathogenic viruses, it is highly desirable that vaccines induce strong neutralizing antibodies as quickly as possible. However, current vaccine strategies require multiple immunization doses to produce high titers of neutralizing antibodies and are poorly protective after a single vaccination. We therefore wished to design a vaccine candidate that would induce increased protective immune responses following the first vaccine dose. We hypothesized that antibodies against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein could be increased by drawing upon immunity to a previous infection. We generated a fusion protein containing the influenza H1N1 PR8 virus nucleoprotein (NP) and the SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD. Mice with or without preexisting immunity to PR8 were then vaccinated with NP/RBD. We observed significantly increased SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in mice with PR8 immunity compared to mice without preexisting PR8 immunity. Vaccination with NP/RBD protected mice from SARS-CoV-2-induced morbidity and mortality after a single dose. Additionally, we compared SARS-CoV-2 virus titers in the lungs and nasal turbinates 4 days post-challenge of mice vaccinated with NP/RBD. SARS-CoV-2 virus was detectable in the lungs and nasal turbinate of mice without preexisting PR8 immunity, while SARS-CoV-2 virus was completely undetectable in mice with preexisting PR8 immunity. We also found that CD4-positive T cells in mice with preexisting immunity to PR8 play an essential role in producing the increased antibody response against RBD. This vaccine strategy potentially can be modified to target other pathogens of concern and offers extra value in future pandemic scenarios.IMPORTANCEIncreased globalization and changes in human interactions with wild animals has increased the likelihood of the emergence of novel viruses with pandemic potential. Vaccines can be effective in preventing severe disease caused by pandemic viruses. However, it takes time to develop protective immunity via prime-boost vaccination. More effective vaccine designs should quickly induce protective immunity. We propose leveraging preexisting immunity to a different pathogen to boost protection against emerging viruses. We targeted SARS-CoV-2 as a representative pandemic virus and generated a fusion protein vaccine that combines the nucleoprotein from influenza A virus and the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Our vaccine design significantly increased the production of RBD-specific antibodies in mice that had previously been exposed to influenza virus, compared to those without previous exposure. This enhanced immunity reduced SARS-CoV-2 replication in mice. Our results offer a vaccine design that could be valuable in a future pandemic setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harrison Dulin
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
- Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Ramya S. Barre
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Duo Xu
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Arrmund Neal
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Edward Vizcarra
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Jerald Chavez
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Arzu Ulu
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Myeon-Sik Yang
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | | | - Keidy Wuang
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Nikhil Bhakta
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Chanvoraboth Chea
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Emma H. Wilson
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | | | - Rong Hai
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
- Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
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Colston JM, Chernyavskiy P, Gardner L, Nong M, Fang B, Houpt E, Swarup S, Badr H, Zaitchik B, Lakshmi V, Kosek M. The Planetary Child Health & Enterics Observatory (Plan-EO): a protocol for an interdisciplinary research initiative and web-based dashboard for mapping enteric infectious diseases and their risk factors and interventions in LMICs. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-2640564. [PMID: 36993232 PMCID: PMC10055683 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2640564/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Background Diarrhea remains a leading cause of childhood illness throughout the world that is increasing due to climate change and is caused by various species of ecologically sensitive pathogens. The emerging Planetary Health movement emphasizes the interdependence of human health with natural systems, and much of its focus has been on infectious diseases and their interactions with environmental and human processes. Meanwhile, the era of big data has engendered a public appetite for interactive web-based dashboards for infectious diseases. However, enteric infectious diseases have been largely overlooked by these developments. Methods The Planetary Child Health and Enterics Observatory (Plan-EO) is a new initiative that builds on existing partnerships between epidemiologists, climatologists, bioinformaticians, and hydrologists as well as investigators in numerous low- and middle-income countries. Its objective is to provide the research and stakeholder community with an evidence base for the geographical targeting of enteropathogen-specific child health interventions such as novel vaccines. The initiative will produce, curate, and disseminate spatial data products relating to the distribution of enteric pathogens and their environmental and sociodemographic determinants. Discussion As climate change accelerates there is an urgent need for etiology-specific estimates of diarrheal disease burden at high spatiotemporal resolution. Plan-EO aims to address key challenges and knowledge gaps by making rigorously obtained, generalizable disease burden estimates freely available and accessible to the research and stakeholder communities. Pre-processed environmental and EO-derived spatial data products will be housed, continually updated, and made publicly available to the research and stakeholder communities both within the webpage itself and for download. These inputs can then be used to identify and target priority populations living in transmission hotspots and for decision-making, scenario-planning, and disease burden projection. Study registration PROSPERO protocol #CRD42023384709.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Malena Nong
- University of Virginia College of Arts & Sciences
| | | | - Eric Houpt
- University of Virginia School of Medicine
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Colston JM, Chernyavskiy P, Gardner L, Nong M, Fang B, Houpt E, Swarup S, Badr H, Zaitchik B, Lakshmi V, Kosek M. The Planetary Child Health & Enterics Observatory (Plan-EO): a protocol for an interdisciplinary research initiative and web-based dashboard for mapping enteric infectious diseases and their risk factors and interventions in LMICs. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-2640564. [PMID: 36993232 PMCID: PMC10055683 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2640564/v3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Background Diarrhea remains a leading cause of childhood illness throughout the world that is increasing due to climate change and is caused by various species of ecologically sensitive pathogens. The emerging Planetary Health movement emphasizes the interdependence of human health with natural systems, and much of its focus has been on infectious diseases and their interactions with environmental and human processes. Meanwhile, the era of big data has engendered a public appetite for interactive web-based dashboards for infectious diseases. However, enteric infectious diseases have been largely overlooked by these developments. Methods The Planetary Child Health and Enterics Observatory (Plan-EO) is a new initiative that builds on existing partnerships between epidemiologists, climatologists, bioinformaticians, and hydrologists as well as investigators in numerous low- and middle-income countries. Its objective is to provide the research and stakeholder community with an evidence base for the geographical targeting of enteropathogen-specific child health interventions such as novel vaccines. The initiative will produce, curate, and disseminate spatial data products relating to the distribution of enteric pathogens and their environmental and sociodemographic determinants. Discussion As climate change accelerates there is an urgent need for etiology-specific estimates of diarrheal disease burden at high spatiotemporal resolution. Plan-EO aims to address key challenges and knowledge gaps by making rigorously obtained, generalizable disease burden estimates freely available and accessible to the research and stakeholder communities. Pre-processed environmental and EO-derived spatial data products will be housed, continually updated, and made publicly available to the research and stakeholder communities both within the webpage itself and for download. These inputs can then be used to identify and target priority populations living in transmission hotspots and for decision-making, scenario-planning, and disease burden projection. Study registration PROSPERO protocol #CRD42023384709.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Malena Nong
- University of Virginia College of Arts & Sciences
| | | | - Eric Houpt
- University of Virginia School of Medicine
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Chiu KHY, Sridhar S, Yuen KY. Preparation for the next pandemic: challenges in strengthening surveillance. Emerg Microbes Infect 2023; 12:2240441. [PMID: 37474466 PMCID: PMC10478602 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2240441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
The devastating Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic indicates that early detection of candidates with pandemic potential is vital. However, comprehensive metagenomic sequencing of the total microbiome is not practical due to the astronomical and rapidly evolving numbers and species of micro-organisms. Analysis of previous pandemics suggests that an increase in human-animal interactions, changes in animal and arthropod distribution due to climate change and deforestation, continuous mutations and interspecies jumping of RNA viruses, and frequent travels are important factors driving pandemic emergence. Besides measures mitigating these factors, surveillance at human-animal interfaces targeting animals with unusual tolerance to viral infections, sick heathcare workers, and workers at high biosafety level laboratories is crucial. Surveillance of sick travellers is important when alerted by an early warning system of a suspected outbreak due to unknown agents. These samples should be screened by multiplex nucleic acid amplification and subsequent unbiased next-generation sequencing. Novel viruses should be isolated in routine cell cultures, complemented by organoid cultures, and then tested in animal models for interspecies transmission potential. Potential agents are candidates for designing rapid diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. For early detection of outbreaks, there are advantages in using event-based surveillance and artificial intelligence (AI), but high background noise and censorship are possible drawbacks. These systems are likely useful if they channel reliable information from frontline healthcare or veterinary workers and large international gatherings. Furthermore, sufficient regulation of high biosafety level laboratories, and stockpiling of broad spectrum antiviral drugs, vaccines, and personal protective equipment are indicated for pandemic preparedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelvin Hei-Yeung Chiu
- Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Siddharth Sridhar
- State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Kwok-Yung Yuen
- State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
- Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
- Department of Infectious Disease and Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China
- Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
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Jin B, Ma B, Mei Q, Xu S, Deng X, Hong Y, Li J, Xu H, Zhang M. Europium Nanoparticle-Based Lateral Flow Strip Biosensors Combined with Recombinase Polymerase Amplification for Simultaneous Detection of Five Zoonotic Foodborne Pathogens. BIOSENSORS 2023; 13:652. [PMID: 37367017 DOI: 10.3390/bios13060652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The five recognized zoonotic foodborne pathogens, namely, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus suis, Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli O157:H7, pose a major threat to global health and social-economic development. These pathogenic bacteria can cause human and animal diseases through foodborne transmission and environmental contamination. Rapid and sensitive detection for pathogens is particularly important for the effective prevention of zoonotic infections. In this study, rapid and visual europium nanoparticle (EuNP)-based lateral flow strip biosensors (LFSBs) combined with recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) were developed for the simultaneous quantitative detection of five foodborne pathogenic bacteria. Multiple T lines were designed in a single test strip for increasing the detection throughput. After optimizing the key parameters, the single-tube amplified reaction was completed within 15 min at 37 °C. The fluorescent strip reader recorded the intensity signals from the lateral flow strip and converted the data into a T/C value for quantification measurement. The sensitivity of the quintuple RPA-EuNP-LFSBs reached a level of 101 CFU/mL. It also exhibited good specificity and there was no cross-reaction with 20 non-target pathogens. In artificial contamination experiments, the recovery rate of the quintuple RPA-EuNP-LFSBs was 90.6-101.6%, and the results were consistent with those of the culture method. In summary, the ultrasensitive bacterial LFSBs described in this study have the potential for widespread application in resource-poor areas. The study also provides insights in respect to multiple detection in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei Jin
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Biao Ma
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Qing Mei
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Shujuan Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Xin Deng
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Yi Hong
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Jiali Li
- Hangzhou Quickgene Sci-Tech. Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Hanyue Xu
- College of Life Science, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Mingzhou Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Biometrology and Inspection & Quarantine, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
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Saba Villarroel PM, Gumpangseth N, Songhong T, Yainoy S, Monteil A, Leaungwutiwong P, Missé D, Wichit S. Emerging and re-emerging zoonotic viral diseases in Southeast Asia: One Health challenge. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1141483. [PMID: 37383270 PMCID: PMC10298164 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1141483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Mariela Saba Villarroel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
- Viral Vector Joint Unit and Joint Laboratory, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Nuttamonpat Gumpangseth
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
- Viral Vector Joint Unit and Joint Laboratory, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Thanaphon Songhong
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
- Viral Vector Joint Unit and Joint Laboratory, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Sakda Yainoy
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Arnaud Monteil
- Viral Vector Joint Unit and Joint Laboratory, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
- Plateforme de Vectorologie, BioCampus, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Pornsawan Leaungwutiwong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Dorothée Missé
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Sineewanlaya Wichit
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
- Viral Vector Joint Unit and Joint Laboratory, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
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Osofsky SA, Lieberman S, Walzer C, Lee HL, Neme LA. An immediate way to lower pandemic risk: (not) seizing the low-hanging fruit (bat). Lancet Planet Health 2023; 7:e518-e526. [PMID: 37286248 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(23)00077-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
What is the least that humanity can do to mitigate the risks of future pandemics, to prevent worldwide surges in human deaths, illness, and suffering-and more waves of multitrillion US dollar impacts on the global economy? The issues around our consumption and trading of wildlife are diverse and complex, with many rural communities being dependent on wild meat for their nutritional needs. But bats might be one taxonomic group that can be successfully eliminated from the human diet and other uses, with minimal costs or inconvenience to the vast majority of the 8 billion people on Earth. The order Chiroptera merits genuine respect given all that these species contribute to human food supplies through pollination services provided by the frugivores and to disease risk mitigation delivered by insectivorous species. The global community missed its chance to stop SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 from emerging-how many more times will humanity allow this cycle to repeat? How long will governments ignore the science that is in front of them? It's past time for humans to do the least that can be done. A global taboo is needed whereby humanity agrees to leave bats alone, not fear them or try to chase them away or cull them, but to let them have the habitats they need and live undisturbed by humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Osofsky
- Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; Cornell Wildlife Health Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; Cornell Atkinson Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Susan Lieberman
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Christian Walzer
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, Bronx, NY, USA; Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Helen L Lee
- Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; Cornell Wildlife Health Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Laurel A Neme
- Cornell Wildlife Health Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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Gallo-Cajiao E, Lieberman S, Dolšak N, Prakash A, Labonté R, Biggs D, Franklin C, Morrison TH, Viens AM, Fuller RA, Aguiar R, Fidelman P, Watson JEM, Aenishaenslin C, Wiktorowicz M. Global governance for pandemic prevention and the wildlife trade. Lancet Planet Health 2023; 7:e336-e345. [PMID: 37019574 PMCID: PMC10069821 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(23)00029-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Although ideas about preventive actions for pandemics have been advanced during the COVID-19 crisis, there has been little consideration for how they can be operationalised through governance structures within the context of the wildlife trade for human consumption. To date, pandemic governance has mostly focused on outbreak surveillance, containment, and response rather than on avoiding zoonotic spillovers in the first place. However, given the acceleration of globalisation, a paradigm shift towards prevention of zoonotic spillovers is warranted as containment of outbreaks becomes unfeasible. Here, we consider the current institutional landscape for pandemic prevention in light of ongoing negotiations of a so-called pandemic treaty and how prevention of zoonotic spillovers from the wildlife trade for human consumption could be incorporated. We argue that such an institutional arrangement should be explicit about zoonotic spillover prevention and focus on improving coordination across four policy domains, namely public health, biodiversity conservation, food security, and trade. We posit that this pandemic treaty should include four interacting goals in relation to prevention of zoonotic spillovers from the wildlife trade for human consumption: risk understanding, risk assessment, risk reduction, and enabling funding. Despite the need to keep political attention on addressing the current pandemic, society cannot afford to miss the opportunity of the current crisis to encourage institution building for preventing future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Gallo-Cajiao
- School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | | | - Nives Dolšak
- School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Aseem Prakash
- Center for Environmental Politics, Department of Political Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ronald Labonté
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Duan Biggs
- School of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA; Resilient Conservation, Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia; Centre for Complex Systems in Transition, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | | | - Tiffany H Morrison
- School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - A M Viens
- School of Global Health and Global Strategy Lab, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Richard A Fuller
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Raphael Aguiar
- Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Pedro Fidelman
- Centre for Policy Futures, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - James E M Watson
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Cécile Aenishaenslin
- Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique, Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS Centre-Sud de l'Île de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Mary Wiktorowicz
- Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Hagen EH, Blackwell AD, Lightner AD, Sullivan RJ. Homo medicus: The transition to meat eating increased pathogen pressure and the use of pharmacological plants in Homo. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 180:589-617. [PMID: 36815505 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
The human lineage transitioned to a more carnivorous niche 2.6 mya and evolved a large body size and slower life history, which likely increased zoonotic pathogen pressure. Evidence for this increase includes increased zoonotic infections in modern hunter-gatherers and bushmeat hunters, exceptionally low stomach pH compared to other primates, and divergence in immune-related genes. These all point to change, and probably intensification, in the infectious disease environment of Homo compared to earlier hominins and other apes. At the same time, the brain, an organ in which immune responses are constrained, began to triple in size. We propose that the combination of increased zoonotic pathogen pressure and the challenges of defending a large brain and body from pathogens in a long-lived mammal, selected for intensification of the plant-based self-medication strategies already in place in apes and other primates. In support, there is evidence of medicinal plant use by hominins in the middle Paleolithic, and all cultures today have sophisticated, plant-based medical systems, add spices to food, and regularly consume psychoactive plant substances that are harmful to helminths and other pathogens. We propose that the computational challenges of discovering effective plant-based treatments, the consequent ability to consume more energy-rich animal foods, and the reduced reliance on energetically-costly immune responses helped select for increased cognitive abilities and unique exchange relationships in Homo. In the story of human evolution, which has long emphasized hunting skills, medical skills had an equal role to play.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward H Hagen
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Aaron D Lightner
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
- Department of the Study of Religion, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Roger J Sullivan
- Department of Anthropology, California State University, Sacramento, California, USA
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The emergence of BtSY2 Covid-like virus: A call for global preparedness. J Taibah Univ Med Sci 2023; 18:1058-1060. [PMID: 36994223 PMCID: PMC10040890 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2023.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Scientists in China announced on 25th of November with great concern that there is a new Covid-like virus out of the five viruses of concern discovered among bats across Yunnan province. It was reported that this Covid-like virus BtSY2 has high potential of infecting humans as it comprises a receptor binding domain which is a vital part of the spike protein used to lay hold of human cells and subsequently utilize human ACE2 receptor for cell entry similar to the SARS-CoV-2. In a bid to address this global threat in affected countries, it is expedient for authorized health professionals, policy makers and the world to keep an eye on this Covid-like virus capable of spreading from bats to humans because most pandemic outbreaks in recent decades have arisen in such a manner. Strict actions should be implemented in impeding transmission to humans which is paramount to battling viral diseases as learnt from history that viral outbreaks are very impossible to eradicate after global outbreak. Health officials and the World Health Organization should invest urgently in more research to further study this new Covid-like virus with an approach to prepare for a possible viral outbreak, and develop treatment options and possible vaccines to outsmart the danger posed to human health.
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Li X, Jiang H, Liang X. Early Stage Risk Identification and Governance of Major Emerging Infectious Diseases: A Double-Case Study Based on the Chinese Context. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2023; 16:635-653. [PMID: 37056713 PMCID: PMC10089271 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s400546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Based on the Chinese context, this study uses severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks as examples to identify the risk factors that lead to the major emerging infectious diseases outbreak, and put forward risk governance strategies to improve China's biosecurity risk prevention and control capabilities. Material and Methods This study combines grounded theory and WSR methodology, and utilizes the NVivo 12.0 qualitative analysis software to identify the risk factors that led to the major emerging infectious diseases outbreak. The research data was sourced from 168 publicly available official documents, which are highly authoritative and reliable. Results This study identified 10 categories of Wuli risk factors, 6 categories of logical Shili risk factors, and 8 categories of human Renli risk factors that contributed to the outbreak of major emerging infectious diseases. These risk factors were distributed across the early stages of the outbreak, and have different mechanisms of action at the macro and micro levels. Conclusion This study identified the risk factors that lead to the outbreak of major emerging infectious disease, and discovered the mechanism of the outbreak at the macro and micro levels. At the macro level, Wuli risk factors are the forefront antecedents that lead to the outbreak of the crisis, Renli factors are the intermediate regulatory factors, and Shili risk factors are the back-end posterior factors. At the micro level, there are risk coupling, risk superposition, and risk resonance interactions among various risk factors, leading to the outbreak of the crisis. Based on these interactive relationships, this study proposes risk governance strategies that are helpful for policymakers in dealing with similar crises in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefeng Li
- School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China
- School of Public Policy and Management, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hui Jiang
- School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Hui Jiang, School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, Email
| | - Xiaoyu Liang
- School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China
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Monkeypox: Some Keys to Understand This Emerging Disease. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12172190. [PMID: 36077910 PMCID: PMC9454429 DOI: 10.3390/ani12172190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In 1958, several monkeys in a Copenhagen laboratory developed a skin rash from which an orthopoxvirus could be isolated, which was named monkeypox virus (MPXV). However, the natural animal reservoir for MPXV is thought to be a rodent. The first human case occurred in 1970, and the incidence has increased progressively throughout the years. Starting May 2022, the number of cases outside Africa has soared, especially in Western Europe. There are two clades of MPXV, Congo Basin, with higher virulence and mortality, and Western Africa (WA). MPXV from the present outbreak has been proposed to be classified as Clade 3, distinct from the WA clade by at least 50 substitutions, which may increase human-to-human transmissibility. Most cases correspond to men in their 30s who have sex with men, and the possibility of sexual transmission is under investigation. Though there is no evidence of human-to-animal transmission, pets of positive human cases may be classified as low risk, including dogs, cats, and birds, who can be quarantined at home, and high risk, such as pet rabbits or mice, who should be isolated in official laboratories for observation. The current epidemiological data do not support the risk of a pandemic.
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