THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The national seminar organised by the Indian Veterinary Association (IVA)- Kerala here witnessed a chorus for setting up a public health wing in the animal
husbandry department and appointing a veterinary public health officer. The need to promote the 'One Health' approach, an interdisciplinary approach to tackle zoonotic diseases, was reiterated.
A national-level seminar on multiple stakeholders approaches in tackling emerging zoonoses and a panel discussion on public health issues in the Kerala context was held as part of World Zoonoses Day celebrations organised by the IVA.
The IVA representatives told The New Indian Express that a separate veterinary public health wing was needed to address the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR); control the booming pet industry; strictly monitor slaughterhouses and influx of livestock animals from other districts; and prevent the occurrence of zoonotic diseases.
IVA state president MK Pratheepkumar said that to prevent zoonoses, the One Health triad is key. "The human, animal and environmental health are interlinked and really important. Protection of the environment is key and only then can the health of humans and animal species be ensured. It cannot be solely human-oriented. Rather, forest and animal health play a crucial role to prevent the spillover of disease from animals to humans," he said.
The unrestricted entry of livestock through the interstate border poses a major risk to human health, said Jose James, managing director, Kerala Livestock Development Board. "There is no control on animals that are being brought in through the borders nor do we conduct quality checks on animals that are slaughtered for meat. Quarantine facilities have to be set up at the border and this can prevent the onset of many diseases. The occurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans can be addressed if we were to have a dedicated public health wing," he said.
The need to have veterinarians monitor the pet shops was also stressed. With pet culture catching up in the cities, chances of human infection are also high. The pet industry is booming and there is no control over it, according to the vets.
"Nearly 75 per cent of emerging diseases in humans originate from animals. The animals have to be certified properly and the breeding firms should also be brought under control. All these issues can be tackled by the public health wing, " said EK Easwaran, district president of IVA. There is also an urgent need to increase the infrastructure and staff strength, he said.
"Over time, the number of livestock and pets has increased. But the capacity building hasn't happened to address the huge volume of animals. That has to be addressed," Easwaran added.
The animal world is a reservoir of many viruses, which we aren't even aware of, say the vets. "Any stress on environment can have detrimental effects, as was seen in the case of Nipah. We could control Nipah, but if we do not take urgent measures to have a multidisciplinary approach of One Health, some other diseases will emerge in the long run," said V K P Mohankumar, state general secretary, IVA.
'One Health' approach
The World Health Organisation's 'One Health' approach underscores the need to bring professionals having expertise in fields such as public health, animal health, and environment together to plan and implement policies for better health.
Controlling zoonoses, food safety, and addressing antibiotic resistance are some of the aspects that come under the approach.