Reference no: EM133635792

The concept of One Health refers to the interconnectedness of the health of humans, animals, and the environment. It is the understanding that all three of these segments have complex and significant effects on each of the others, and one area cannot be fully addressed without also considering the other areas. Similarly, this means that the professions that address one of these specific segments (doctors, veterinarians, ecologists, etc) need to work in interdisciplinary teams to produce the most effective results for protecting their area's health. The public health profession is positioned particularly well for this. Public health already has to deal with the wider population rather than individuals and take into consideration other components and impacting factors of health. This profession therefore is an effective tool for integrating the three segments and applying the One Health concept. I see this in my duties as a public health veterinarian with USDA FSIS where I am monitoring the health of poultry and livestock in order to ensure a safe and wholesome food supply for people. This idea of health professionals forming teams is one of the most important One Health issues currently. We have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and throughout our readings this week that, while there is recognition of the importance of One Health, the application of the concept is underdeveloped. Forming interdisciplinary teams and global systems should be prioritized in order to best predict and react to the next pandemic, especially in the face of waning One Health interest now that the COVID-19 pandemic has ended/died down.

Task 2

Lyme disease is a zoonotic, vector-borne infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi (as well as some other Borrelia species). The bacteria infects Ixodes spp. ticks, which then infect rodents, the reservoir hosts, some other mammals and birds, and humans. Surveillance for Lyme Disease is best done using a One Health approach where ticks are collected to determine the geographic range and seasonality population characteristics of Ixodes spp. as well as the prevalence of borreliosis in these ticks (Johnson et al., 2022). Livestock and companion animal infection data gathered by veterinarians can also act as sentinel data for human infections (Johnson et al., 2022). Prevention and response also should utilize a One Health approach. With climate change, the geographic range and active periods of Ixodes spp. are increasing, leading to increasing risk or borreliosis (CDC, 2022). Addressing this environmental challenge would have the most significant impact on preventing the transmission of Lyme Disease. Additionally, vaccinating dogs for Lyme Disease and creating tick safe-zones in people's backyards can help reduce the spread to both humans and animals (CDC, 2022).