Trend Analysis of Animal Bite Cases: A Retrospective Study at Anti-Rabies Clinic of a Tertiary Care Hospital of Kashmir

Background: Rabies which is 100 fetal but preventable is caused by bite of rabid animals particularly dogs. Animal bites cases are major public health problem in India and also in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir. Objective(s): To study the trend and seasonal Variation of animal bite cases attending the Anti Rabies clinic (from 2009 to 2022), run by Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College Srinagar at SMHS Hospital. Material(s) and Method(s): The retrospective Cross sectional study conducted at Anti-Rabies Clinic of SMHS Hospital, a tertiary care associated Hospital of Government Medical College Srinagar. Data was collected from the record of Animal bite register at Anti rabies clinic after proper permission from the incharge of the clinic. Data was entered and analyzed on Excel soft ware. Result(s): More than 70,000 number of animal bites cases were reported at the Anti-Rabies clinic from the year 2009 to 2022. there has been a rise of cases from the year 2009 to 2018 with a slight decrease in the year 2019-20. About 97% of all animal bites were dog bites. Majority of the cases (>60%) were category of three (3) exposure. One year analysis for seasonal variation shows that incidence was more in March and May-June. Conclusion(s): the present study showed that animal bites cases were rising with little decrease in the year 2019-20 as may be due to lesser animal human interaction due to Covid-19 restrictions. Keeping in view the present trend it is expected that the Animal bite cases will show rising trend in coming years. Multidisciplinary approach is advocated to control the increasing trend.

Examining the Impact of Virtual Animal Stimuli on College Students' Affect and Perception of their Academic Advising Experience.

The benefits of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) involving animals in therapy are widely accepted. The presence of animals in therapy can decrease a patient's reservation about therapy and promote a sense of comfort and rapport during the therapy process. Using survey data from college students (n = 152) attending a large public four-year institution, this study is the first to investigate the benefits of virtual animal stimuli during academic advising appointments. It posits that exposure to virtual animal stimuli can influence positive mental health and well-being in academic advising settings. Specifically, the research questions explored how different types of video content influence students' affect and how virtual animal stimuli impact students' perception of their advisor and university. College students were randomly assigned to watch one of four types of virtual stimuli (wild animals, companion animals, nature, and a control) prior to their advising session. Subjective measures were collected at baseline and after the advising session. Results indicated animal stimuli increase positive affect, and companion animal stimuli influence the student's perception of the advisor. This study supports the notion that companion animal videos positively impact students' well-being and interactions with their advisors and may have broader implications beyond the academic setting.

The role of regular engagement with non-companion animals and proximity to green and blue space for mental health, wellbeing, and loneliness during Covid-19 social-distancing measures: findings from a UK survey study

Context. The Covid-19 pandemic led to increased use of green/blue space as indoor spaces became frequently inaccessible. These changes affected the direct interactions between humans and nature. Aims. To investigate the links between mental health, loneliness, wellbeing, and interaction with non-companion animals, proximity to and use of green/blue space. Methods. A cross-sectional online survey of adult UK residents was conducted between April and June 2020. The questionnaire included validated and bespoke items measuring demographics and exposures and outcomes related to mental health, wellbeing, loneliness, human-animal interactions with non-companion animals (wildlife/farm animals), and proximity to and use of green/blue space before and since the first UK Covid-19 lockdown. Key results. Of 5926 participants, 4408 (74.4%) reported interacting with non-companion animals at least every other day. Frequent engagement with non-companion animals was significantly associated with smaller decreases in mental health scores (b = 0.131, 95% CI [0.007-0.256], P = 0.038) and smaller increases in loneliness scores (b = -0.135, 95% CI [-0.241-0.030], P = 0.012). Just under half (48.4%, n = 2867) reported living directly next to a green/blue space, and over half (52.3%;n = 3097) reported using such space at least every day since lockdown. Regular use of green/blue space since lockdown was significantly associated with higher mental health (b = 0.154, 95% CI [0.037-0.272], P = 0.010), lower loneliness (b = -0.334, 95% CI [-0.430 - -0.238], P = 0.001), and higher wellbeing (b = 0.810, 95% CI [0.572-1.047], P = 0.001). Closer proximity to such space was significantly associated with lower loneliness scores (b = -0.224, 95% CI [-0.319 - -0.130], P = 0.001), and higher wellbeing scores (b = 0.632, 95% CI [0.391-0.873], P = 0.001). Conclusion. The multi-faceted human-nature relationship may promote key human health benefits in the context of the lockdown. Implications. These findings have highlighted the importance of green/blue space and the human-animal relationship, and how they might play a critical role in maintaining people's mental health within a pandemic context. Further targeted investigations relating to these areas and links with human health are important within both pandemic and non-pandemic contexts.

Development of the pet owner connectedness scale (POCS)

Studies that have reported on the loneliness protective effect of pet ownership have recently been called into question owing to methodological drawbacks, including the use of inappropriate scales of measurement for loneliness in pet owner samples. It has also been recently demonstrated that pet interactions may only influence positive, not negative, human affect. In light of these recent advances, the current study aimed to create a new scale focusing on the inverse experience of loneliness: connectedness. An initial 24-item scale was developed using qualitative data collected from our previous study investigating the impact of pet ownership for Australians living alone during a government-enforced lockdown in response to COVID-19. Study 1 included 934 dog and cat owners who self-selected into the online study. Factor analyses revealed two distinct factors, and only items that loaded uniquely on one factor were retained. Study 2 included 526 dog and cat owners who self-selected into the online study, which confirmed the two-factor structure and established validity and reliability of the scale. The result was a 14-item Pet Owner Connectedness Scale (POCS) with two subscales: (i) owner-pet connection, and (ii) connectedness through pet. Hence, we present evidence for a new scale that can be used to measure the positive social states of connectedness that owners may gain from their pets. This may provide a good alternative to more traditional methods such as measuring the buffering effect pets have on negative social states such as loneliness. It may also offer a more robust method to measure the impact of pet interactions on their owners. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Pet Ownership and Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Importance of Resilience and Attachment to Pets

The governmental restrictions in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic led to social isolation, with many people spending more time at home with their pets. The relationships between pet ownership, pet attachment, and wellbeing were examined using two online surveys: one in the early stages of the pandemic (May, 2020) and the other over one year later (September, 2021). Resilience, optimism, and basic psychological need satisfaction (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) were examined as potential moderators. Study 1 had an international sample of 495 participants (70% pet owners), while study 2 had a UK sample of 243 participants (57% pet owners). Most participants reported that their pets provided emotional comfort and had a positive impact on their lives during the early stages of the pandemic. Pet ownership and pet attachment were positively associated with wellbeing in people with low levels of resilience. Conversely, people with high resilience who were pet owners or had higher pet attachment had lower wellbeing than non-pet owners and those less attached. Optimism and basic psychological need satisfaction were not significant moderators. Although some of the associations found in study 1 might have been specific to the beginning of the pandemic, other results were replicated a year later in the UK sample when social restrictions were eased (study 2). The findings from the two studies suggest that higher scores on a subscale of pet attachment, which involves the pet playing a more central role than humans in the owner's life, might be directly linked to lower resilience and wellbeing and increased loneliness. The combination of high resilience and higher levels of pet attachment or pet ownership might be unfavorable. Nonetheless, pet ownership and healthy human-animal bonds can be protective factors for people with low levels of resilience.Copyright © 2022 International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ).

Older Adult Companion Animal-Owner Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Exploration

The COVID-19 pandemic placed older adults at a disproportionate risk of experiencing social isolation and loneliness and subsequent reduced wellbeing. Evidence suggests companion animals may have the capacity to provide social support, reduce loneliness, and improve wellbeing in older adults. Using a cross-sectional design and online/phone semi-structured survey methodology, this qualitative study explored how companion animal ownership impacted the subjective wellbeing of 177 (89.8% female) older adult companion animal owners aged 65-84 years (M = 70.72, SD = 4.5) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. A template thematic analysis indicated older adult companion animal owners perceived their companion animals to provide mental, social, and physical wellbeing benefits during the pandemic. Participants found providing care for their companion animals offered a light-hearted reprieve from pandemic fears while bringing a crucial sense of motivation and purpose to their days. Participants considered that their companion animals provided "COVID-safe" tactile comfort, social support, and companionship, while older adults also found pleasure forming attachments with wild animals during the pandemic, a novel finding in companion animal research. Our findings suggest that older adults facing barriers to companion animal ownership, including those living in retirement villages, residential aged care facilities, and hospital settings, may gain mental health benefits from forming attachments with wild animals, without being burdened with the sole responsibility of providing full time care for a companion animal. Furthermore, our findings provide evidence to support the creation of two novel theoretical mechanisms of human-animal interactions for further investigation: the motivation and purpose theory and the reprieve theory.Copyright © 2022 International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ).

Mixed-reality-based human-animal interaction can relieve mental stress.

Introduction: Interacting with animals has been demonstrated to possess the healing benefits to humans. However, there are limitations in physical interaction due to COVID-19 and safety issues. Therefore, as an alternative, we created mixed-reality (MR)-based human-animal interaction (HAI) content and experimentally verified its effect on mental stress reduction. Methods: We created three types of interactive content: observing the movement of a non-reactive virtual cat, interacting with a virtual cat whose responses can be seen, and interacting with a virtual cat whose responses can be both seen and heard. The experiment was performed by 30 healthy young women, and a mental arithmetic task was used to induce mild mental stress before experiencing each content. During the experiment, the subject's electrocardiogram was continuously recorded, and the psychological state was evaluated through a questionnaire. Results: The results showed that MR-based virtual cat content significantly reduces mental stress and induces positive emotions after stressful situations. In particular, when the virtual cat provided audiovisual feedback, the activation amount of the parasympathetic nervous system and the increase of positive emotions were the greatest. Discussion: Based on this encouraging research result, this method should be further investigated to see if it can replace real HAI for human mental health management.

A Qualitative Analysis of Management Perspectives on Seeking to Implement the Foster Cat Project in Residential Aged Care in the Context of COVID-19.

This study explores the challenges facing a pilot project aiming to foster homeless cats in an Australian residential aged care facility. The global COVID-19 pandemic stalled the project but also presented an opportunity to gain reflective insights into the perceived barriers, enablers and tensions involved in seeking to implement pet animal inclusion in residential aged care. Perspectives from aged care management, animal welfare services and researchers/project managers were all sought using semi-structured interviews, and themes developed using a qualitative descriptive analysis. Perceived barriers to the project before and after the pandemic were not dissimilar with four key themes emerging: competing priorities, risk and safety, resources, and timing. All existed differently across stakeholder groups creating tensions to be negotiated. These themes are then mapped to the competencies established by the International Union of Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) for undertaking health promotion, demonstrating that this skill base can be drawn on when seeking to implement human-animal inclusive projects. Creating supportive healthful environments for frail older persons is a moral imperative of extended lives. Health Promotion skills as outlined in the Ottawa Charter and IUHPE competencies for health promotion workers need to be extended to include animal services, agendas and cultures to promote multi-species health promotion into the future.

A standardized instrument quantifying risk factors associated with bi-directional transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other zoonotic pathogens: The COVID-19 human-animal interactions survey (CHAIS).

Similar to many zoonotic pathogens which transmit from animals to humans, SARS-CoV-2 (CoV-2), the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, most likely originated in Rhinolophus bats before spreading among humans globally. Early into the pandemic, reports of CoV-2 diagnoses in animals from various countries emerged. While most CoV-2 positive animals were confirmed to have been in close contact with CoV-2 positive humans, there has been a paucity of published evidence to-date describing risk factors associated with CoV-2 transmission among humans and animals. The COVID-19 Human-Animal Interactions Survey (CHAIS) was developed to provide a standardized instrument describing human-animal interactions during the pandemic and to evaluate behavioral, spatiotemporal, and biological risk factors associated with bi-directional zoonotic transmission of CoV-2 within shared environments, predominantly households with limited information about human-wildlife or human-livestock interactions. CHAIS measures four broad domains of transmission risk: 1) risk and intensity of infection in human hosts, 2) spatial characteristics of shared environments, 3) behaviors and human-animal interactions, and 4) susceptible animal subpopulations. Following the development of CHAIS, with a One Health approach, a multidisciplinary group of experts (n = 20) was invited to review and provide feedback on the survey for content validity. Expert feedback was incorporated into two final survey formats-an extended version and an abridged version for which specific core questions addressing zoonotic and reverse zoonotic transmission were identified. Both versions are modularized, with each section having the capacity to serve as independent instruments, allowing researchers to customize the survey based on context and research-specific needs. Further adaptations for studies seeking to investigate other zoonotic pathogens with similar routes of transmission (i.e. respiratory, direct contact) are also possible. The CHAIS instrument is a standardized human-animal interaction survey developed to provide important data on risk factors that guide transmission of CoV-2, and other similar pathogens, among humans and animals.

Child-Dog Attachment, Emotion Regulation and Psychopathology: The Mediating Role of Positive and Negative Behaviours.

Emerging evidence suggests that pet dogs can offer features of a secure attachment which has been associated with healthy psychological development across the lifespan. Limited research has investigated the underpinning mechanisms that may contribute to the benefits and risks of child-dog attachment during childhood. This study aimed to test the potential mediating role of caregiver-observed positive and negative child-dog behaviours, on the relationship between child-reported child-dog attachment, and caregiver-reported child psychopathology and emotion regulation. Data from 117 caregiver reports and 77 child self-reports were collected through an online survey in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Parallel mediation analyses indicated that child-dog attachment had a significant indirect effect on conduct problems through negative child-dog behaviours only. Child-dog attachment had a significant indirect effect on emotional symptoms, peer problems, prosocial behaviour, emotion regulation, and emotional lability/negativity through both positive and negative child-dog behaviours. Although this study found modest effect sizes, the findings suggest that the types of interactions that children engage in with their pet dogs may be important mechanisms through which pet attachment contributes to psychological development throughout childhood, and therefore further attention is warranted. Positive and safe child-dog interactions can be facilitated through education and intervention, which may have implications for promoting positive developmental outcomes.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Client-Owned Cats from Portugal.

The close contact between humans and domestic cats raises concerns about the potential risks of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Thus, this study aims to investigate anti-SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in client-owned cats from Portugal and evaluate the infection risk of cats that maintain contact with human COVID-19 cases. A total of 176 cats, belonging to 94 households, were sampled. Cat owners answered an online questionnaire, and cats were screened for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 using a commercial ELISA. Twenty (21.3%) households reported at least one confirmed human COVID-19 case. Forty cats (22.7%) belonged to a COVID-19-positive and 136 (77.3%) to a COVID-19-negative household. The seroprevalences of cats from COVID-19-positive and -negative households were 5.0% (2/40) and 0.7% (1/136). The two SARS-CoV-2-seropositive cats from COVID-19-positive households had an indoor lifestyle, and their owners stated that they maintained a close and frequent contact with them, even after being diagnosed with COVID-19, pointing towards human-to-cat transmission. The SARS-CoV-2-seropositive cat from the COVID-19-negative household had a mixed indoor/outdoor lifestyle and chronic diseases. Owners of the three SARS-CoV-2-seropositive cats did not notice clinical signs or behavior changes. This study highlights the low risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from COVID-19-positive human household members to domestic cats, even in a context of close and frequent human-animal contact.

Animal (non-human) companionship for adults aging in place during COVID-19: A critical support, a source of concern and potential for social work responses

This reprinted chapter originally appeared in Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 2020, 63[6-7], 702-705. (The following of the original article appeared in record 2021-00510-030.) In this letter, we present a case for why and how social workers who work with older adults should assess and respond to human-pet interaction;while important on a routine basis, given the current pandemic situation and subsequent increases in isolation experienced by older adults, it is especially crucial to be responsive to their relationships with pets as potential strengths, stressors or both. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

From Regulating Emotions to Less Lonely Screen Time: Parents' Qualitative Perspectives of the Benefits and Challenges of Adolescent Pet Companionship.

Adolescence is a prime developmental period to explore human-pet relationships, particularly given that teens are often relying less on their families, and more on other attachment figures such as peers and pets. However, most research on pet companionship is conducted with adults and young children. Moreover, lived experiences around having pets in households with adolescents are underexplored, particularly from parents' perspectives. This qualitative interview study of 31 parents/guardians in the Northeast U.S. explored perceptions of the benefits and challenges of having pets for their adolescent's well-being as well as how adolescents affected their pet's well-being. Our three main themes for perceived benefits of pets included social (e.g., reducing anxiety), physical (e.g., screen time companionship), and emotional (e.g., regulation of difficult emotions such as anger, loneliness). Challenges to adolescent well-being included such social topics as family tension around unevenly shared responsibilities, physical themes such as problematic animal behaviors, and emotional themes related to grieving the passing of pets. We offer a developmental systems approach to understanding pets within adolescent families, noting future directions for developing family interventions to improve pet-adolescent interactions given the demands of child and pet upbringing during adolescence.

Behavioral–biological surveillance of emerging infectious diseases among a dynamic cohort in Thailand

Background Interactions between humans and animals are the key elements of zoonotic spillover leading to zoonotic disease emergence. Research to understand the high-risk behaviors associated with disease transmission at the human-animal interface is limited, and few consider regional and local contexts. Objective This study employed an integrated behavioral–biological surveillance approach for the early detection of novel and known zoonotic viruses in potentially high-risk populations, in an effort to identify risk factors for spillover and to determine potential foci for risk-mitigation measures. Method Participants were enrolled at two community-based sites (n = 472) in eastern and western Thailand and two hospital (clinical) sites (n = 206) in northeastern and central Thailand. A behavioral questionnaire was administered to understand participants’ demographics, living conditions, health history, and animal-contact behaviors and attitudes. Biological specimens were tested for coronaviruses, filoviruses, flaviviruses, influenza viruses, and paramyxoviruses using pan (consensus) RNA Virus assays. Results Overall 61/678 (9%) of participants tested positive for the viral families screened which included influenza viruses (75%), paramyxoviruses (15%), human coronaviruses (3%), flaviviruses (3%), and enteroviruses (3%). The most salient predictors of reporting unusual symptoms (i.e., any illness or sickness that is not known or recognized in the community or diagnosed by medical providers) in the past year were having other household members who had unusual symptoms and being scratched or bitten by animals in the same year. Many participants reported raising and handling poultry (10.3% and 24.2%), swine (2%, 14.6%), and cattle (4.9%, 7.8%) and several participants also reported eating raw or undercooked meat of these animals (2.2%, 5.5%, 10.3% respectively). Twenty four participants (3.5%) reported handling bats or having bats in the house roof. Gender, age, and livelihood activities were shown to be significantly associated with participants’ interactions with animals. Participants’ knowledge of risks influenced their health-seeking behavior. Conclusion The results suggest that there is a high level of interaction between humans, livestock, and wild animals in communities at sites we investigated in Thailand. This study highlights important differences among demographic and occupational risk factors as they relate to animal contact and zoonotic disease risk, which can be used by policymakers and local public health programs to build more effective surveillance strategies and behavior-focused interventions.

Behavioral-biological surveillance of emerging infectious diseases among a dynamic cohort in Thailand.

BACKGROUND: Interactions between humans and animals are the key elements of zoonotic spillover leading to zoonotic disease emergence. Research to understand the high-risk behaviors associated with disease transmission at the human-animal interface is limited, and few consider regional and local contexts. OBJECTIVE: This study employed an integrated behavioral-biological surveillance approach for the early detection of novel and known zoonotic viruses in potentially high-risk populations, in an effort to identify risk factors for spillover and to determine potential foci for risk-mitigation measures. METHOD: Participants were enrolled at two community-based sites (n = 472) in eastern and western Thailand and two hospital (clinical) sites (n = 206) in northeastern and central Thailand. A behavioral questionnaire was administered to understand participants' demographics, living conditions, health history, and animal-contact behaviors and attitudes. Biological specimens were tested for coronaviruses, filoviruses, flaviviruses, influenza viruses, and paramyxoviruses using pan (consensus) RNA Virus assays. RESULTS: Overall 61/678 (9%) of participants tested positive for the viral families screened which included influenza viruses (75%), paramyxoviruses (15%), human coronaviruses (3%), flaviviruses (3%), and enteroviruses (3%). The most salient predictors of reporting unusual symptoms (i.e., any illness or sickness that is not known or recognized in the community or diagnosed by medical providers) in the past year were having other household members who had unusual symptoms and being scratched or bitten by animals in the same year. Many participants reported raising and handling poultry (10.3% and 24.2%), swine (2%, 14.6%), and cattle (4.9%, 7.8%) and several participants also reported eating raw or undercooked meat of these animals (2.2%, 5.5%, 10.3% respectively). Twenty four participants (3.5%) reported handling bats or having bats in the house roof. Gender, age, and livelihood activities were shown to be significantly associated with participants' interactions with animals. Participants' knowledge of risks influenced their health-seeking behavior. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that there is a high level of interaction between humans, livestock, and wild animals in communities at sites we investigated in Thailand. This study highlights important differences among demographic and occupational risk factors as they relate to animal contact and zoonotic disease risk, which can be used by policymakers and local public health programs to build more effective surveillance strategies and behavior-focused interventions.

Virtual canine comfort: A randomized controlled trial of the effects of a canine-assisted intervention supporting undergraduate wellbeing

Being a university student is known to be a stressful experience, and researchers across studies have reported elevated stress and compromised mental health for university students when compared with findings from the general population. The unexpected disruption to their studies arising from COVID-19 and its corresponding social isolation added to the stress experienced by students. This study assessed the effects of a virtual canine-assisted intervention to support student stress reduction and wellbeing. Participants (n = 467) were recruited from undergraduate psychology classes at a mid-size Western Canadian university and were randomly assigned to either synchronous (i.e., live Zoom) or asynchronous (i.e., pre-recorded YouTube videos) sessions with or without a dog present. An abbreviated, small group dose intervention of five minutes was used and handlers across conditions followed a script that mirrored as closely as possible the dialogue shared during a typical live, in-person visit (i.e., shared information about their dog, asked participants to reflect on their wellbeing, etc.). Measures of wellbeing included 1-item measures of connectedness to campus, loneliness, and stress, the PANAS, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Circumplex Model of Affect, and self-ratings of engagement during the intervention. Results of paired samples t-tests revealed that participants, regardless of condition, reported significant reductions in anxiety, stress, loneliness, and negative affect and more positive emotional states and stronger feelings of connectedness to their campus. Regarding the impact of platform delivery, participants reported greater campus connectedness following their participation in the synchronous conditions;however, type of platform was not associated with other aspects of wellbeing as noted above. As hypothesized, undergraduate students in this study did report feeling less stressed at the end of the intervention when a dog was present. The implications of the findings are discussed within the context of university student wellbeing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Companion Animals and Adolescent Stress and Adaptive Coping During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant social disruptions for youth caused by lockdowns, school closures, and a lack of in-person social interactions. Companion animals are prevalent in US households and may provide a source of emotional support and motivation for youth to engage in adaptive coping behaviors during social challenges. The goals of this study were to assess if dog owners, non-dog pet owners, and non-pet owners differed in stress levels, positive affect, and use of adaptive coping strategies such as increased time outdoors, regular walking, and healthy behaviors. This study used data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM (ABCD) Study, a large, nationally representative dataset of American youth. In a cross-sectional sample of 6,069 adolescents, there were significant, but small, relationships between owning a non-dog pet and lower levels of positive affect, and both dog owners and non-dog pet owners reported higher perceived stress compared with non-pet owners. Dog ownership was associated with higher odds of using healthy coping strategies compared with non-pet owners, but this relationship was not significant when controlling for demographic variables. Dog owners reported higher odds of having a walking routine and spending time outdoors compared with non-pet owners. Overall, the results suggest no buffering effect of pet ownership on youth mental wellbeing, but dog ownership is associated with some healthy coping behaviors linked to walking.

Mixed Reality-Based Interaction between Human and Virtual Cat for Mental Stress Management.

Human-animal interaction (HAI) has been observed to effectively reduce stress and induce positive emotions owing to the process of directly petting and interacting with animals. Interaction with virtual animals has recently emerged as an alternative due to the limitations in general physical interactions, both due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, more generally, due to the difficulties involved in providing adequate care for animals. This study proposes mixed reality (MR)-based human-animal interaction content along with presenting the experimental verification of its effect on the reduction of mental stress. A mental arithmetic task was employed to induce acute mental stress, which was followed by either MR content, in which a participant interacted with virtual animals via gestures and voice commands, or a slide show of animal images. During the experiment, an electrocardiogram (ECG) was continuously recorded with a patch-type, wireless ECG sensor on the chest of the subject, and their psychological state was evaluated with the help of questionnaires after each task. The findings of the study demonstrate that the MR-based interaction with virtual animals significantly reduces mental stress and induces positive emotions. We expect that this study could provide a basis for the widespread use of MR-based content in the field of mental health.

Transmission of Zoonotic Diseases in the Daily Life of Ancient Pompeii and Herculaneum (79 CE, Italy): A Review of Animal-Human-Environment Interactions through Biological, Historical and Archaeological Sources.

There is no doubt that the cultural and urban environments contributed to the animal-human interaction in the daily life of the ancient Roman world. The singularity of the circumstances of the burial of Pompeii and Herculaneum, together with literary sources and the extraordinary state of preservation of the archaeological and biological material found, has provided researchers with an opportunity, unique in its kind, to reconstruct the life and ways of living of its inhabitants. This study illustrates the main drivers and mechanisms for the distribution and transmission of zoonotic diseases in these ancient Roman populations, such as (i) the large number and role that different animal species played in the ancient Roman world; (ii) the environmental conditions for the survival of parasites, pathogens and vectors; (iii) the great variety and intensity of commercial activities and occupations that presented certain risks of infections; (iv) the absence of adequate safety controls during processing, distribution and preservation of foodstuffs in unsuitable environments and some culinary habits; (v) the inadequate mechanisms of the disposal of human waste and the biotic contamination of watercourses and reservoirs; and finally (vi) the use of animals related to religious and cultural practices.

The Role of Animal Ownership for People with Severe Mental Illness during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Study Investigating Links with Health and Loneliness.

Research has reported the benefits of companion animals for people with severe mental illness (SMI). However, this evidence base is fragmented and unclear. The COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity to explore the role of companion animals in the context of social distancing and isolation measures for people with SMI. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the links between mental and physical health and animal ownership in people with SMI and to explore animal owners' perceptions related to human-animal interactions during the pandemic restrictions. A survey was conducted with a previously assembled cohort of individuals with SMI in the UK. The survey included previously validated and new bespoke items measuring demographics, and outcomes related to mental and physical health, and human-animal interactions. The survey also included a question inviting free-text responses, allowing participants to describe any experiences of their human-animal relationships during the pandemic. Of 315 participants who consented to participate, 249 (79%) completed the survey. Of these, 115 (46.2%) had at least one companion animal. Regression analyses indicated that animal ownership was not significantly associated with well-being and loneliness. However, animal ownership was associated with a self-reported decline in mental health (b = 0.640, 95% CI [0.102-1.231], p = 0.025), but no self-reported change in physical health. Thematic analysis identified two main themes relating to the positive and negative impact of animal ownership during pandemic restrictions. Animal ownership appeared to be linked to self-reported mental health decline in people with SMI during the second wave of the pandemic in the UK. However, the thematic analysis also highlighted the perceived benefit of animal ownership during this time. Further targeted investigation of the role of human-animal relationships and the perceived human-animal bond for human health is warranted.