‘One health’ to ensure food safety and control of zoonotic diseases

Dr.T.P.Sethumadhavan

                   Severity and impact of Covid 19 pandemic reveals that one virus can change the entire world! Similarly food safety has emerged as a global public health issue. According to World Health Organization’s estimates, annually 3-5 billion cases of diarrhea are occurring globally due to food safety issues. It is a fact that more than 1.8 million deaths occur among children below five years of age and the significant proportion of these results are through consumption of food.  Five lakh children below five years of age die every year due to diarrhea in India. Food safety has emerged as an important global issue due to international trade and public health implications. Food borne diseases may be caused by bacteria and bacterial toxins, viruses, zoonotic parasites, fungi and fungal toxins, pesticide residues, heavy metals, drug residues, food adulterants and food additives. Salmonella, shigella, clostridium, staphylococcus, vibrio, listeria monocytogenes, campylobacter, yersenia, brucella and mycobacterium are some of the major groups of bacteria causing food borne illness. Among viruses Rota virus, norovirus and hepatitis virus (A & E) cause food borne infections. Indiscriminate use of pesticides and antibiotic residues in the food chain will create lot of public health issues. This in turn will affect exports and may lead to rejection of consignments. Increased microbial resistance to antibiotics and contamination due to pesticides and heavy metals may cause serious health issues. Adulteration of vegetable and animal foods causes serious health issues. Residues, primary production, traceability, biosecurity concerns, environmental contaminants, disease monitoring, reporting, data collection and risk assessment are some of the important food safety related issues.

Melamine and oxytocin in milk cause serious health issues in India. Pesticide residues in vegetables cause serious health issues. Analytical data reveals that big onion, carrot, beans, cucumber, tomato and curry leaves contain more than permissible level of pesticide residues. This may cause endocrine, reproductive abnormalities and immune suppression. Antibiotics are widely used in food animals as growth promoters to treat and control infections. Unfortunately India has no regulation to control the excess use of antibiotics in poultry. Serious food born infections are getting reported daily across the World. Backyard poultry sector faces outbreak of salmonella infections. It can also occur in Onion, lemon, vegetables and peaches.

Maintenance of food safety is the shared responsibility of Government, food business operators and consumers. Governments should maintain up to date and science based legal standards. Health awareness and extension programmes should be given more importance. Food safety and Standards authority of India is involved in ensuring the regulatory norms and operation of National food control system. Food business operators should produce safe food adhering to the established regulatory requirements. At a time due to Covid 19 disruptions, online food retail is acquiring momentum across the world, food handling need to be given utmost importance. Consumer has the responsibility to read the instructions on the product package, hygiene, cleaning the hands, raw vegetables, contaminated surfaces including proper refrigeration of perishable products. While cooking, sufficient internal temperature should be maintained.

Of the contagious diseases, more than 65 percent are zoonotic diseases. It has been established that Covid 19 had originated from wuhan animal market in China. Changes in Biodiversity, habitat and climate will cause emergence of zoonotic pathogens. Deforestation, antimicrobial resistance, intensified agricultural practices and illegal wild life trade may aggregate the situation. Food safety must accompany food and nutrition security. Production of safe food is a driving force for sustainable development. Compromised food safety may lead to food born infections and subsequent mortality.

One health strategies

One health has emerged as the single solution to control zoonotic and other contagious diseases. According to food and agriculture Organization, ‘One health’ is a collaborative international, cross sectoral, multidisciplinary mechanism to address threats and reduce risks of detrimental infectious diseases at the animal-human-ecosystem interface. It is a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of healthcare for humans, animals and the environment. Some of the strategic options of one health include protection from zoonotic diseases, ensure food security and food safety, protect animal health and welfare and protect trade.

Recent research findings reveal that number of publications using one health has shown quantum jump in the recent years. Interdisciplinary approach is a requisite for implementing one health strategies. Physicians, Veterinarians, wild life experts, ecologists, healthcare workers, educators and media must work together to achieve the envisaged objectives. The concept of one health can be effectively implemented so as to reduce incidences of Covid 19 pandemic. One Health is "the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally, to attain optimal health for people, animals and our environment", as defined by the One Health Initiative Task Force. While investigating the etiology of diseases strategic approach, incorporating scientists from multidisciplinary sources will yield confirmatory results. Top of Form

 

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One health model is a globally accepted model for research on epidemiology, diagnosis and control of zoonotic diseases. One health model facilitates interdisciplinary approach for disease control so as to control emerging and existing zoonotic threats. World Health Organization has started addressing emerging issues of antimicrobial resistance through one health research. Developing countries are in the process of promoting one health research for developing a sustainable disease control system. They are using Health analytics and data management tools for accurate results. Asian and Trans Pacific countries are giving more thrust to this sector. BBSRC (Biotechnology and biological sciences research Council), UK, Future farming based at University of Western Australia and Melinda and Gates foundation are giving potential funding support to one health model. Interdisciplinary approach will facilitate speedy implementation of one health model in the country.

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Dr.T.P.Sethumadhavan is an Educational and Career Consultant & former Director of Entrepreneurship @ Kerala Veterinary & Animal Sciences University. Email- tpsethu2000@gmail.com. He is the Consultant to World Bank.