Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915

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    Mpox: A case study for a one health approach to infectious disease prevention
    (Elsevier B V, Amsterdam, 2025-06) Hayman DTS; Koopmans MPG; Cunningham AA; Bukachi SA; Masirika LM; Markotter W; Mettenleiter TC
    Mpox has been declared a global health emergency twice by the World Health Organization due to its impacts within and beyond Africa. Enzootic in Central and West African wildlife, mpox outbreaks have resulted from zoonotic spillover, with recent events revealing increased human-to-human transmission. Factors like population growth and environmental disruption, alongside reduced smallpox immunity, increase emergence risk. In addition, the emergence in South Kivu of a distinct subclade of mpox virus points at a currently understudied aspect of mpox virus lineages and their dynamics in reservoir hosts. A One Health approach—integrating human, animal, and environmental science—is essential for reducing the risk of mpox emergence. This approach should encompass ecological studies to understand putative reservoir population dynamics and the potential for interventions, reducing activities that increase human-animal contacts, respectful community engagement to reduce spillover risk from cultural practices (such as hunting multiple species of wildlife for consumption), and socially acceptable and equitable access to medical and non-medical countermeasures to prevent or control ongoing human-to-human transmission. Politically supported collaborative efforts across disciplines with involvement of stakeholders are critical to promote and strengthen socially and environmentally sustainable practices to mitigate future outbreaks.
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    Ectoparasite and bacterial population genetics and community structure indicate extent of bat movement across an island chain.
    (Cambridge University Press, 2024-05-24) McKee CD; Peel AJ; Hayman DTS; Suu-Ire R; Ntiamoa-Baidu Y; Cunningham AA; Wood JLN; Webb CT; Kosoy MY
    Few studies have examined the genetic population structure of vector-borne microparasites in wildlife, making it unclear how much these systems can reveal about the movement of their associated hosts. This study examined the complex host-vector-microbe interactions in a system of bats, wingless ectoparasitic bat flies (Nycteribiidae), vector-borne microparasitic bacteria (Bartonella), and bacterial endosymbionts of flies (Enterobacterales) across an island chain in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa. Limited population structure was found in bat flies and Enterobacterales symbionts compared to that of their hosts. Significant isolation by distance was observed in the dissimilarity of Bartonella communities detected in flies from sampled populations of Eidolon helvum bats. These patterns indicate that, while genetic dispersal of bats between islands is limited, some nonreproductive movements may lead to the dispersal of ectoparasites and associated microbes. This study deepens our knowledge of the phylogeography of African fruit bats, their ectoparasites, and associated bacteria. The results presented could inform models of pathogen transmission in these bat populations and increase our theoretical understanding of community ecology in host-microbe systems.
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    Prevention of zoonotic spillover: From relying on response to reducing the risk at source.
    (Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2023-10-05) Authored by the members of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP); Markotter W; Mettenleiter TC; Adisasmito WB; Almuhairi S; Barton Behravesh C; Bilivogui P; Bukachi SA; Casas N; Cediel Becerra N; Charron DF; Chaudhary A; Ciacci Zanella JR; Cunningham AA; Dar O; Debnath N; Dungu B; Farag E; Gao GF; Hayman DTS; Khaitsa M; Koopmans MPG; Machalaba C; Mackenzie JS; Morand S; Smolenskiy V; Zhou L; Dvorin JD
    The devastating impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on human health globally has prompted extensive discussions on how to better prepare for and safeguard against the next pandemic. Zoonotic spillover of pathogens from animals to humans is recognized as the predominant cause of emerging infectious diseases and as the primary cause of recent pandemics [1]. This spillover risk is increased by a range of factors (called drivers) that impact the nature, frequency, and intensity of contact between humans and wild animals. Many of these drivers are related to human impact, for example, deforestation and changes in land use and agricultural practices. While it is clear that the triad of prevention-preparedness-response (P-P-R) is highly relevant, there is much discussion on which of these 3 strategic activities in the field of emerging infectious disease should be prioritized and how to optimally target resources. For this, it is important to understand the scope of the respective activity and the consequences of prioritization.
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    Developing One Health surveillance systems
    (Elsevier B.V., 2023-12-01) Hayman DTS; Adisasmito WB; Almuhairi S; Behravesh CB; Bilivogui P; Bukachi SA; Casas N; Becerra NC; Charron DF; Chaudhary A; Ciacci Zanella JR; Cunningham AA; Dar O; Debnath N; Dungu B; Farag E; Gao GF; Khaitsa M; Machalaba C; Mackenzie JS; Markotter W; Mettenleiter TC; Morand S; Smolenskiy V; Zhou L; Koopmans M
    The health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the environment are inter-dependent. Global anthropogenic change is a key driver of disease emergence and spread and leads to biodiversity loss and ecosystem function degradation, which are themselves drivers of disease emergence. Pathogen spill-over events and subsequent disease outbreaks, including pandemics, in humans, animals and plants may arise when factors driving disease emergence and spread converge. One Health is an integrated approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize human, animal and ecosystem health. Conventional disease surveillance has been siloed by sectors, with separate systems addressing the health of humans, domestic animals, cultivated plants, wildlife and the environment. One Health surveillance should include integrated surveillance for known and unknown pathogens, but combined with this more traditional disease-based surveillance, it also must include surveillance of drivers of disease emergence to improve prevention and mitigation of spill-over events. Here, we outline such an approach, including the characteristics and components required to overcome barriers and to optimize an integrated One Health surveillance system.
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    One Health: A new definition for a sustainable and healthy future
    (PLOS, 2022-06-23) One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP); Adisasmito WB; Almuhairi S; Behravesh CB; Bilivogui P; Bukachi SA; Casas N; Cediel Becerra N; Charron DF; Chaudhary A; Ciacci Zanella JR; Cunningham AA; Dar O; Debnath N; Dungu B; Farag E; Gao GF; Hayman DTS; Khaitsa M; Koopmans MPG; Machalaba C; Mackenzie JS; Markotter W; Mettenleiter TC; Morand S; Smolenskiy V; Zhou L; Dvorin JD