one health

The H5N1 avian influenza virus can be transmitted between mammals, according to a study published in Nature. The research team isolated the virus from the milk of an infected cow in New Mexico (USA) and found that it spreads in mice and ferrets, reaching the mammary glands of both animals. In addition, the virus was also transmitted from infected lactating mice to their offspring. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has issued a press release on Monday recommending increased surveillance for these viruses.

Dogs and other pets can be sentinels for human health, two US researchers argue in the journal Science. Because they share the same environment as their owners, dogs can help study, for example, the epidemiology of vector-borne pathogens, the effects of exposure to heavy metals and endocrine disruptors, and even the effects of social adversity. Improving canine data collection would help assess the health of people who cohabit with dogs, the authors argue. 

A review examines the role of domestic and semi-domestic animals, such as cats, in the emergence of potential zoonoses due to their close contact with humans. The paper, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, concludes that companion animal health risks will become increasingly problematic with climate change and rapid urbanisation.

Influenza A can cause influenza in humans, birds, pigs, and other mammals. In 2009 and 2010, a pandemic caused by the pdm09 strain—popularly called 'swine flu' because it contained genetic sequences from avian, swine, and human influenza—caused thousands of human deaths worldwide. Since then, this lineage has crossed over 370 times from humans to pigs in the United States, according to a study published in PLOS Pathogens. The research also indicates that the circulation of the virus among pigs may cause further evolutionary changes in this lineage, which would increase the risk of the virus passing back to humans.

Summer conjures up images of swimming pools, beaches, holidays and also, buzzing and bites. Mosquitoes have been with us all our lives, but globalisation has led to the arrival in Spain of invasive species capable of causing diseases such as dengue and yellow fever. How can we distinguish dangerous species and avoid their bites?