Ecohealth最新文献

Acanthamoeba, is an opportunistic pathogenic organism with a global distribution and the potential to cause severe human infections. This study primarily aimed to identify the environmental factors influencing the distribution of Acanthamoeba by analyzing various bioclimatic and topographic variables, and to predict their potential current and future distribution under 2070 climate change scenarios using ecological niche modeling based on the MaxEnt algorithm. Niche modeling was performed on 20 water and 20 soil samples collected from hot springs, swimming pools, parks, and agricultural areas. The rates of positive water samples in Afyon and Kütahya were 70 and 50%, respectively. We detected 60 and 100% positive rates of soil samples collected in Afyon and Kütahya, respectively. Niche modeling incorporated 19 bioclimatic variables, with BIO3 (Isothermality), BIO4 (Temperature seasonality), BIO13 (Precipitation of the wettest month), and BIO15 (Precipitation seasonality) identified as the most influential predictors. The model showed high predictive performance, with AUC values of 0.991 and 0.977 for current and future projections, respectively. Results suggest a potential increase in Acanthamoeba distribution in future scenarios, especially in the southwestern region of Afyon and southern Kütahya. These findings highlight the importance of environmental monitoring and genotypic characterization of Acanthamoeba for public health risk assessment.

Several arboviruses circulate in wild and urban transmission cycles, most of which are zoonotic. Some species of non-human primates (NHP), such as Callithrix jacchus, are important amplifying hosts. The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of antibodies to arboviruses in the blood of free-living C. jacchus in conservation areas in the state of Sergipe, Northeast Brazil. Serum samples were assessed by the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) serological assay to detect total antibodies against specific antigens of 20 different types of arboviruses. A total of 47 samples were analyzed and showed 55% reactivity for 12 of the arboviruses tested and all reactions were heterotypic for three or more flaviviruses. The samples that reacted to the HI assay were subjected to an ELISA test to detect antibodies of the IgM class, but all were negative. The HI results show the circulation of arboviruses belonging to the genus Flavivirus, and Mucambo virus. This demonstrates the need to monitor the health of NHPs to understand the participation of different species in the arbovirus transmission cycle, mainly those that are endangered and endemic to the area, as well as to associate animal health data with surveillance of human cases.

Numerous observational studies have highlighted the crucial role of lifestyle in the prevention of chronic diseases (Riboli and Kaaks in Int J Epidemiol 26(Suppl 1):S6-S14, 1997; Riboli et al. in Public Health Nutr 5(6B):1113-1124, 2002; Boffetta et al. in Eur J Epidemiol 29(12):929-936, 2014). Prospective multicohort analyses further documented the quantitative impact of lifestyle on life expectancy and healthy life years. Nyberg et al. demonstrated that favorable behavioral profiles are associated with more than ten additional years lived free of major chronic diseases (Nyberg et al. in JAMA Intern Med 180(5):760-768, 2020). Similar findings emerged from the China Kadoorie Biobank (Lv et al. in Lancet Public Health 6(12):e895-e906, 2021) and the US study by Li et al. (BMJ 368:k239, 2018). Collectively, these data confirm that lifestyle is the most powerful and modifiable determinant of long-term health, with effects ranging from 10 to 15 years in terms of both survival and quality of life. Based on this evidence, we propose Human Health Ecology as a new scientific paradigm, operationalized through the Method of Resilient Ecology, aimed at redefining health as a measurable ecological property of systemic balance and resilience.

This study investigated the seroprevalence of zoonotic hepatitis E virus and Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) in wild boars from southern Kyushu, Japan, from 2014 to 2021, including increased hunting until 2015. The seroprevalence was 16.38% for hepatitis E virus (n = 116; 95% CI 10.74-24.17) and 12.40% for T. gondii (n = 130; 95% CI 7.78-19.20). A decreasing trend for hepatitis E virus was observed (P = 0.05777). As the first study on wild boars in southern Kyushu, it provides insights into hepatitis E virus and T. gondii epidemiology, suggesting that managing boar density could help control diseases.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) strains are particularly concerning due to their zoonotic potential and environmental persistence. Ruminants, especially sheep and cattle, serve as primary reservoirs, often shedding pathogenic strains asymptomatically and contributing to foodborne outbreaks through contamination of animal-derived products. This study aimed to characterize antimicrobial-resistant E. coli strains isolated from dairy sheep in Brazil, focusing on phylogenetic backgrounds, resistance profiles, and genomic features. From 65 rectal swab samples collected across five herds in two Brazilian states, 65 E. coli isolates were recovered. Of these, 27.7% showed antimicrobial resistance to at least one drug tested, and 32.3% were identified as STEC. Resistance was most frequently observed against sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, tetracycline, and gentamicin. Notably, one isolate (LZB-RS-110) exhibited an extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) phenotype and a multidrug-resistant profile. Whole-genome sequencing identified clinically relevant resistance genes (e.g., bla_CTX-M-8, tetB, sul2), virulence genes (stx1, stx2), and metal tolerance operons. The bla_CTX-M-8 gene, harbored on a predicted conjugative IncI1 plasmid, was flanked by mobile genetic elements, suggesting a high potential for horizontal gene transfer. Phylogenomic analysis revealed that LZB-RS-110 is closely related to international isolates from wild and domestic animals, highlighting the global dissemination of high-risk E. coli lineages. These findings underscore the critical role of sheep in the ecology of zoonotic and resistant E. coli, and the broader implications for food safety and One Health. Enhanced surveillance and rational antimicrobial use in livestock are urgently needed to mitigate the spread of resistance and safeguard public health.

Rabies presents biosecurity concerns in Malaysia that was rabies-free for 20 years prior to 2017. This study examines how Malaysian newspapers framed rabies outbreaks in 2017 and 2022, focussing on rhetorical appeals and content in The Star (national) and Borneo Post (regional). A total of 89 articles were identified using "rabies", "dog" and "canine" as search terms. A time-series comparison revealed that media attention was driven more by news value than by disease severity. When rabies re-emerged after two decades, emotional appeals and severity was emphasised in the 63 news articles on rabies (20 BP, 43 TS). By 2022, only 26 news articles (13 BP, 13 TS) on rabies were identified despite more cases and deaths, and there was a shift towards logical appeals and the content was mostly control measures. The cross-newspaper comparison further showed that The Star emphasised susceptibility, warning readers of personal risk, while Borneo Post stressed severity but both newspapers emphasised protective actions. The findings suggest that disease framing of rabies in newspapers should sustain use of human stories to motivate preventive action after the initial shock of an infectious disease outbreak has passed.

PCV2 ORF 2 is highly variable and allows classification of PCV2 in eight genotypes, with type 'b' and 'd' being the most prevalent in domestic swine. Wild boars are considered an important reservoir of viruses, and for this reason, our goal is to investigate the genetic diversity of PCV2 in Argentina. A total of 152 animals were captured in two seasons according to national disposition. Blood, lung, heart, kidney, spleen, liver, and lymph node samples were obtained from each animal and analyzed by virological and molecular methods. From the total samples collected during 2018-2019, 11.53% were detected as PCV2 positive by PCR. However, in 2022-2023, the percentage of positivity was 52.7% by PCR. By ELISA test, the total of positive samples from 2018 to 2019 was 71 (91%), and 55 (74%) in 2022-2023. PCV2 antigens were detected by immunohistochemistry only in the lymph node samples. From all positive PCR samples, seven sequences of the complete ORF2 gene were obtained; five were closely related to wild boar type 'd' strains from China and Italy, with an amino acid identity in the range of 99.14-100%, and two sequences clustered with PCV2 type 'a', showing an identity between 96.54 and 99.56% with a strain from Canada.

Mounting evidence across multiple disciplines supports the health benefits of connection to nature. Although this trend suggests that the human-nature relationship is integral to health, its importance is often overlooked in clinical practice due, in part, to lack of consensus on its scope, limits, and terminology. To fill a needed gap, we developed a consensus statement on an inter-connectivity based view of health termed Ecological Medicine. The study recruited an expert working group and used modified Delphi technique and focus groups. The Ecological Medicine Working Group was directed toward Ecological Medicine consensus goals that included: (1) a consensus definition and framework, (2) priorities for practice, research, education, and policy, and (3) Ecological Medicine's implications. A consensus definition and framework for Ecological Medicine was reached, focusing on the importance of human inter-connections (to self, others, non-human species, and natural environment) in informing health understanding. Ecological Medicine suggests that healthcare should shift toward inter-connectivity, relationality, and health practices involving connection-based interventions, especially nature-based interventions. This framework may benefit research, practice, education, policy and other domains of healthcare by focusing on the importance and benefits of connectivity-based health interventions and on the inseparability of human health and planetary health.

Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba, which causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in warm freshwater habitats. In Pakistan few reports are available on incidence of N. fowleri in humans. Recently, in 2023 an outbreak was reported in Islamabad, Pakistan, reflecting its emergence. The current study was designed to access the knowledge, attitudes, practices, risk factors, perceptions, believes, management, interventions, and one-health regarding N. fowleri. A cross-sectional study was carried out by using standardized questionnaires to collect quantitative information on knowledge, attitudes, and preventive measures along with other parameters about N. fowleri from rural and urban settings. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used in the study to clarify the connections between attitudes, knowledge, and demographic variables. Statistical methods were employed to determine mean, standard deviation, t-statistics, and p-values for each path in a structural equation model. The results depict the weak knowledge of people regarding the disease and following poor practices. It also highlights the significance of education in shaping people's behavior and understanding of health through knowledge and attitude. When it comes to choosing actions relating to one's health, knowledge appeared to be essential. Age and attitudes have a notable negative connection, suggesting that opinions about health vary throughout generations. Family size has a significant effect on how knowledge grows, which emphasizes the significance of families in this area. The relationship between occupation and attitude is favorable, indicating that a person's career greatly influences their ability to acquire knowledge and shapes their opinions on health. While residence does not seem to affect knowledge, it does have a positive correlation with attitude, suggesting the effect of one's living environment. The current research emphasizes complex interactions that shape people's attitudes and knowledge about health in connection to education, demography, and occupational considerations.

With the impacts of climate change on health becoming increasingly severe and far-reaching, effective communication to diverse audiences is more crucial than ever. This review analyzes 93 studies published between 2000 and 2023 on public understanding and responses to information about climate change and health. We synthesize research on public perceptions of climate change and health, responses to health-framed climate information, and information about climate and health risks and solutions, and the depolarizing potential of health messaging. Our findings suggest that conveying the health relevance of climate change holds significant potential for enhancing public engagement and building support for climate action. Additionally, we identify research gaps, particularly in understanding how different demographic audiences perceive health-related climate information and suggest directions for future studies. This synthesis of international research provides valuable insights into how different populations perceive and react to health-related climate information, highlighting the importance of targeted and effective communication strategies in addressing the climate crisis. The findings and summaries in this review can serve as valuable tools for evidence-based initiatives to address the critical issue of climate change and its profound implications for public health.