Operationalization of One Health and tripartite collaboration in the Asia-Pacific region

One Health refers to the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally andglobally to attain optimal health for people, animals and our environment. The One Health approachis increasingly popular in the context of growing threats from emerging zoonoses, antimicrobialresistance and climate change. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, WorldOrganisation for Animal Health and World Health Organization have been working together in the wakeof the avian influenza crisis in the Asia-Pacific region to provide strong leadership to endorse the OneHealth concept and promote interagency and intersectoral collaboration. The programme on highlypathogenic emerging diseases in Asia (2009–2014) led to the establishment of a regional tripartitecoordination mechanism in the Asia-Pacific region to support collaboration between the animal andhuman health sectors. The remit of this mechanism has expanded to include other priority One Healthchallenges, such as antimicrobial resistance and food safety. The mechanism has helped to organizeeight Asia-Pacific workshops on multisectoral collaboration for the prevention and control of zoonosessince 2010, facilitating advocacy and operationalization of One Health at regional and country levels.The tripartite group and international partners have developed several One Health tools, which areuseful for operationalization of One Health at the country level. Member States are encouraged todevelop a One Health strategic framework taking into account the country’s context and priorities.

Adenovirus Expressing Human Interferon Inhibits Replication of Foot and Mouth Disease Virus and Reduces Fatal Rate in Mice

Interferon is an important cytokine that plays a critical role in the initial host defense against viral infection. Recombinant human adenoviruses expressing human interferon-alpha (Ad-HIFNalpha) or pig interferon-beta fused with interleukin-18 (Ad-PIFNbeta-IL18) were constructed and used to induce an early protective response against foot and mouth disease (FMD). To analyze the antiviral effect, bovine thyroid and porcine kidney IBRS-2 cells and ICR mice were treated with Ad-HIFNalpha, Ad-PIFNbeta-IL18, and cocktail of Ad-HIFNalpha and Ad-PIFNbeta-IL18. The survival rate of suckling mice was monitored after foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) challenge following intra-peritoneal (IP) administration of appropriate adenovirus. Indirect antigen ELISA was performed to evaluate inhibition of FMDV replication following challenge with the FMDV O, A, or Asia 1 serotypes in vitro. These recombinant adenoviruses reduced the replication of FMDV in susceptible cells, thereby decreasing the fatality in mice, suggesting that they can be a useful control method for the early protection against FMD infection in livestock after field trial.