Zoonosis, epidemias y el concepto “one health”

It is not easy to write an editorial and provide useful knowledge on such varied topics of vector-borne diseases (BVD) as infections of Zika, dengue, chikungunya, hantavirus, arenavirus; Tick-borne infections such as anaplasmosis, rickettsiosis and erlichiosis, as well as parasitic diseases such as leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis. In the literature about it, there are rivers of ink written, and putting order in one or two pages would be very bold. Nevertheless, it is worth highlighting the emergent and re-emerging character in which the BVDs are also framed and how the phenomena associated with globalization collaborate in its expansion and resurgence.

Although the term “emergent infection” had been used previously, it was following a Morbidity Mortality Weekly Report when this term became fashionable (1). Conscious of the importance of these infections, the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, USA, published one of the most impactful journals in the field of infectious diseases, Emerging Infectious Diseases, and which (came to light in January 1995). From the earliest numbers, the importance of ecological, environmental or demographic factors that increased the contact of the population with “new” or at least rare microorganisms became evident (2). They also became evident and attention was drawn to the importance of globalization, travel and climate change that impacted on BVDs (3,4).

In this special issue of the Journal MVZ Cordoba, of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics of the University of Córdoba, Colombia, several prestigious Colombian researchers review and provide original data on zoonoses with a great impact on public health, some of them Of epidemic character. In this regard, it has become clear from the latest epidemics of the late twentieth century and the present twenty-first century that the capacities and infrastructures needed to identify and respond to current epidemics and epidemics include surveillance and early detection of Cases. In addition, depending on the causal agent, isolation of patients and follow-up of cases and contacts is vital to stop the epidemiological chain (5). But, all this, it will not get rid of new epidemics, nor the emergence of new infections or reemergence of some that we have almost forgotten. Hans Zinsser (free translation) said in his book Rats, Lice and History published in 1935: “Infectious diseases are constantly changing, new ones are in the process of development while old ones are being modified or disappeared” (6).

Very recently I was asked at a medical congress: What do you consider essential to know to successfully tackle the management of emerging diseases? The answer was clear: to know where the threats come from. The threats come mainly from the animal world. More than 70% of infectious diseases that have an impact on public health are of zoonotic origin. For this reason, the “One Health” concept must be developed more than ever. We must not forget that the health of people is closely related to the health of animals and all of them with their environment. We can not act like solitary wolves. What would it do for a doctor to have great knowledge about a particular disease, if the source or reservoir of the disease (animal) or its vectors (arthropods) is not acted upon. It will be very difficult to control the problem by ignoring this important relationship. This entails not only having good doctors, biologists, veterinarians and other well-trained and informed health professionals; We also need to coordinate among ourselves, as well as with environmental managers, bioinformatics, etc. We are now entering the era of “big data” that opens up the opportunity for us to advance to the next epidemic. Let us take advantage of it and coordinate ourselves.

Executive Addressing emerging infectious diseases threats: a preventive strategy for the United States

1. CDC. Executive Addressing emerging infectious diseases threats: a preventive strategy for the United States. MMWR. 1994; 43(RR-5);1-18. URL available at: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00031393.htm

2. Morse SS Factors in the emergence of infectious diseases. Emerg Infect Dis 1995; 1:7-15.

3. Wilson ME. Travel and the emergence of infectious diseases. Emerg Infect Dis 1995; 1:39-46

4. Fidler DP. Globalization, international law and emerging infectious diseases. Emerg Infect Dis 1996; 2:77-84

5. Dzau VJ, Sands P. Beyond the Ebola Battle — Winning the War against Future Epidemics. N Engl J Med 2016; 375:203-204.

6. Zinsser H. Rats, lice and history. Transaction publishers: New Brunswick (USA) and London (UK); 1935.