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The One Health Intellectual Exchange was privileged to welcome Dr. Corrie Brown from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine for the last regular weekly session. Dr. Brown’s talk on “Policy, Pastoralists, Pillars, Pirates, and Pathogens” spoke to the bigger picture of One Health, with the example of Rift Valley Fever in Saudi Arabia. Given changes in policy and the creation of the World Trade Organization, standards for preventing the spread of disease are an issue of international concern. The example of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) involves pastoralists from the horn of Africa, who provide the majority of animals for ritual sacrifices at Mecca in Saudi Arabia. In 2000, a large outbreak of RVF in Saudi Arabia led to a ban of livestock imports from African countries where the disease is endemic, with huge economic losses to small pastoralists. Dr. Brown talked about an integrated approach to disease prevention involving trade groups, projects focused on increas...

This week’s intellectual exchange featured guest lecturers Dr. Larry Glickman and Dr. William Stokes. Dr. Larry Glickman is a veterinarian and epidemiologist. He presented on some of his research on surveillance of companion animals as an indicator of disease. One case study he presented was on the transmission of Toxocara canis , or Dog Roundworm infection. The eggs of Toxocara are present in the environment and are extremely resilient, lasting for years without a host. Dogs are a natural host for Toxocara. By our exposure to dogs, people (especially young children), are at risk for acquiring the parasite. As humans are an unnatural host for Toxocara, we can experience debilitating symptoms as a result, including respiratory and eye health issues. Over twenty million children are infected at any one time. Although most cases are asymptomatic, 3000 cases of blindness are caused yearly due to the parasite traveling to the eye. In West Africa, Toxocara is also a serious is...

I ntegrated Bio-preparedness Bio-surveillance: “Active, data-gathering, analysis and interpretation of biosphere data related to disease activity and threats to human health and animal health to achieve early warning, detection and situational awareness” Given the rising threat of zoonotic diseases, this collaborative exchange session explored the use of risk-based disease surveillance strategies from a One Health perspective. The session involved 4 panelists: 1. Dr. Dennis Carroll, Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Avian Influenza and other Emerging Threats Unit 2. Dr. Tom McGinn, Senior Health Advisor, North Carolina Bio-Preparedness Collaborative Program Manager, Office of Health Affairs, Department of Homeland Security 3. Dr. Megan Davies, State Epidemiologist and Chief of the Epidemiology Section, NC Department of Health and Human Services 4. Dr. Anna Waller, Research Associate Professor in ...

In 2009, the deaths of 2 mountain gorillas in the Virunga massif in Rwanda were confirmed to be caused by metapneumovirus, a human respiratory illness. With less than 800 mountain gorillas in the wild, illnesses passed from people is a serious concern given the frequency of gorilla contact with humans. With habitat destruction, these gorillas are limited to parks surrounded by dense human populations. Additionally, wildlife tourism brings many people to the region. Understanding how the transmission of diseases from humans to mountain gorillas occurs will be important in protecting this endangered species. As a result, The UC Davis Wildlife Health Center established the Mountain Gorilla One Health Program , which will work to protect gorillas by improving the health of humans and other animals in the surrounding area. The research article on this topic, which recently appeared in the online edition of Emerging Infectious Diseases can be found here .