Integrated management-based approach for surveillance and control of zoonoses in emerging livestock systems: South East Asia Pig & Poultry Partnership

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Human populations repeatedly face new infectious disease challenges, many of which are of animal origin (zoonotic) and then become endemic in animal and human populations. These zoonotic risks may be worsened by rapid development and diversification of livestock production systems now occurring in low- and middle-income countries, especially in South East Asia. These emerging livestock systems (ELS) are linked to peoples' changing food consumption habits, economic status, aspirations and population shifts, and to political contexts. Key features of ELS include intensification of animal keeping, increased use of antibiotics, and extended supply chains - all of which can have disadvantages from a food safety perspective. Headlines reasonably focus on the emerging zoonotic diseases, for example highly pathogenic influenza (HPAI), but it is the forgotten endemic zoonotic diseases, and primarily gastrointestinal (GI) infections that put the heaviest global burden on the health of poor people, and on productivity and profitability of their livestock (ILRI Report to DfID, 2012). It is estimated that zoonotic gastrointestinal disease, caused by bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter and related antibiotic resistance, accounts for around 1 million human deaths per year globally with around 800 million people being affected, most of them children under five; a situation also reflected in our study countries Viet Nam and Myanmar which rank in the top 5 hotspots for rapidity and diversity of their ELS (ILRI report to DfID). Our work tests the idea that diverse ELS, specifically pig and poultry production, upon which these people increasingly depend for food, are major sources of these infections. We also hypothesise that these zoonotic threats are impacted by the risk environment, and pathogen- and host-related factors and that these, in turn, will be affected by the scale and diversity of different ELS. Viet Nam and Myanmar are at different stages of rapid but different development trajectories and we will study these differences to support development of new One Health approaches. Our proposal's aim is to exploit interdisciplinary expertise that includes social, biological, and governmental players from Myanmar, Viet Nam and UK to bring about step changes in pro-poor control measures using knowledge-driven and culturally relevant strategies that concomitantly improve animal health and productivity and thus improve and protect human health. The objectives to achieve this aim involve parallel work in Viet Nam and Myanmar:(1) To characterise pig and poultry production systems and supply chains.(2) To characterise key stakeholders' existing perceptions and practices related to livestock disease, zoonotic risk and baseline preventive mechanisms.(3) To identify the impact of different livestock systems on the prevalence and diversity of bacterial zoonotic infections and on antimicrobial resistance.(4) To up-scale regionally accessible diagnostic laboratories(5) To identify, pilot and evaluate appropriate and effective knowledge-based training programmes in ELS in Viet Nam and Myanmar, and consider how these might be translated to other contexts.Our research will underpin improved food safety and wellbeing for consumers, improved economic security and health for food chain workers, community-level and environmental benefits from improved management of livestock intensification, evidence on which to base effective and culturally relevant policy for bacterial zoonosis control, pilot microbiology laboratories, infrastructure, and training as the basis for sustainable future surveillance for bacterial endemic zoonoses (to which surveillance for emerging zoonoses could be bolted), and zoonotic risk evaluation and control methods that can be adapted to other international contexts. Finally, the project provides novel academic insights into the role of interdisciplinary teams in tackling global health issues.