Lehigh County Health & Medicine Fall 2019 - 27

L C M E D S O C .O R G

the CDC, (2018) in 2017 statewide in PA, collectively we can minimize the emerging
the incidence rate in dogs was 72.2%. The and reemerging infections of concern. The
majority of these animals are asymptomatic ultimate prevention goal may be the preand likely will clear the infection on their vention of the next pandemic flu. Pandemic
own. However, their exposure levels provide influenza isn't going to be a virulent human
insight into human exposure and risk. Addi- strain, it, like previous pandemics, will be
tionally, many people still choose not to use a strain that mutates and combines human
flea/tick preventatives for their pets and do viral DNA with avian and or swine viral
not choose to use it for themselves. Many DNA. If this occurs AND enough virulence
have the misconception that if they don't develops, human to human transmission
have deer in their immediate vicinity that will occur and a global pandemic will result.
they are not at risk. This is in fact a fallacy. Pandemic flu preparedness embodies the
The Ixodes ticks have a 2 year lifespan and needed cooperation worldwide of many
it involves various stages of the tick feeding disciplines. Preparedness includes boots
on different animal species. Each time that on the ground physicians recognizing
tick takes a meal it can transmit disease. aberrant flu-like-illness, such as illness at an
Dogs and humans are incidentally infected. uncommon times of year or in a population
Knowing the level of Borrelia in one's area not usually afflicted to the degree being
of practice, may help you to remember to seen. It involves farmers reporting signs of
evaluate your patients for tickborne diseases. illness in poultry flocks. It involves wildlife
responders reporting large bird die offs. It
Consider asking your patients about requires collaboration of scientists and
tick exposure when presented with vague researchers to develop preventative vaccines,
clinical signs such as general malaise, fever, all in collaboration within the One Health
headache, stiff neck, shifting myalgias, ar- umbrella to ensure we are all prepared.
thralgias or other clinical vague non-specific
symptoms. Not all people read the book
To help prevent this seemingly inevitable
and develop Erythema migrans. Consider catastrophic illness worldwide along with
asking your patients if they have pets. Do many other disease states, it is quintessential
their pets receive routine monthly flea/tick that we evaluate more than just human
prevention? Have they seen ticks on their health or more than just animal health. So
pets? Do they check themselves for ticks much more can be gleamed from the relaregularly? Have they removed any ticks in tionships between humans, animals, and our
the past 4-6 weeks? Knowing of possible may environment. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas J.
be critical to helping you to get an accurate Doker, DVM, MPH, a veterinarian in the
diagnosis and prevent treating symptoms Air Force in the field of Veterinary medicine,
instead of the underlying disease. Treating sums it up nicely, "The key to being a One
with the correct antibiotic, if bacterial, for Health advocate is to keep a One World-One
the right amount of time, for the right Medicine-One Health perspective wherever
duration of time is paramount. Having key you work, to seek collaborative partners,
information at your disposal is essential to and to always be ready to educate others
ensure appropriate antibiotic stewardship, on the One Health concept!" (One Health
timely treatment, and adequate time and Commission, 2019).
ability to educate your patients regarding
prevention practices in the future.
CITATIONS
Hopefully this brief commentary helps to
demonstrate the value of looking at global
health in a holistic manner, using the One
Health approach. By understanding not
just the practice of clinical medicine but the
practice of veterinary medicine, ecological
health, and other interrelated subjects,

Hinchliffe, S. (2014). More than one world, more than
one health: re-configuring interspecies health. Social Science
& Medicine (129). Pp. 28-35. DOI: https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.07.007
Lerner, H., & Berg, C. (2015). The concept of health in
One Health and some practical implications for research
and education: what is One Health?. Infection ecology
& epidemiology, 5, 25300. doi:10.3402/iee.v5.25300
McCloskey, B., Dar, O, Zumla, A, & Heymann, D. (2014).
Emerging infectious diseases and pandemic potential:
status quo and reducing risk of global spread. The Lancet:
Infectious diseases. Emerging Respiratory Tract Infections.
Volume 14(10). Pp. 1001-1010. DOI: https://doi.
org/10.1016/S1473-3099(14)70846-1
Monath, T. (2013). vaccines against diseases transmitted
from animals to humans. A one health paradigm. Vaccine
(31) pp. 5321-5338. DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
vaccine.2013.09.029
One Health Commission. (2019, June 23). In Facebook
[Posts Page]. Retrieved July, 12, 2019 from
https://www.facebook.com/744003555648099/photo
s/a.1208277975887319/2254126961302410/?type=3
SciTech Europa. (2018, August 22). How can a One Health
approach mitigate the most prevalent health risks today?
Retrieved from https://www.scitecheuropa.eu/
one-health-approach/88605/
Staples, E. & Fischer, M. (2016). West Nile Virus Disease.
In Heymann, D. (Ed.), Control of Communicable Diseases
Manual (20th ed., pp. 675-679). Washington, D.C.:
American Public Health Association.

Beard, 2016. Lyme Disease. In Heymann, D. (Ed.),
Control of Communicable Diseases Manual (20th
ed., pp. 363-67). Washington, D.C.: American Public
Health Association.
Center for Disease Control, (CDC). (2017). Lyme Disease
Data Tables: historical Data. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/tables.html

FALL 2019 | Lehigh County Health & Medicine 27

http://www.LCMEDSOC.ORG https://doi https://doi https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j https://www.facebook.com/744003555648099/photo https://www.scitecheuropa.eu/ https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/tables.html

Lehigh County Health & Medicine Fall 2019

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