Conservation genetics has provided important information into the dynamics of endangered populations. The rapid development of genomic methods has posed an important question, namely where do genetics and genomics sit in relation to their application in the conservation of species? Although genetics can answer a number of relevant questions related to conservation, the argument for the application of genomics is not yet fully exploited. Here, we explore the transition and rationale for the move from genetic to genomic research in conservation biology and the utility of such research. We explore the idea of a ‘conservation prior’ and how this can be determined by genomic data and used in the management of populations. We depict three different conservation scenarios and describe how genomic data can drive management action in each situation. We conclude that the most effective applications of genomics will be to inform stakeholders with the aim of avoiding ‘emergency room conservation’.
One Health (OH) positions health professionals as agents for change and provides a platform to manage determinants of health that are often not comprehensively captured in medicine or public health alone. However, due to the organisation of societies and disciplines, and the sectoral allocation of resources, the development of transdisciplinary approaches requires effort and perseverance. Therefore, there is a need to provide evidence on the added value of OH for governments, researchers, funding bodies and stakeholders. This paper outlines a conceptual framework of what OH approaches can encompass and the added values they can provide. The framework was developed during a workshop conducted by the “Network for Evaluation of One Health”, an Action funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology. By systematically describing the various aspects of OH we provide the basis for measuring and monitoring the integration of disciplines, sectors and stakeholders in health initiatives. The framework identifies the social, economic and environmental drivers leading to integrated approaches to health, and illustrates how these evoke characteristic OH operations, i.e. thinking, planning and working, and require supporting infrastructures to allow learning, sharing and systemic organisation. It also describes the OH outcomes (i.e. sustainability, health and welfare, interspecies equity and stewardship, effectiveness and efficiency), which are not possible to obtain through sectoral approaches alone, and their alignment with aspects of sustainable development based on society, environment and economy.
For nearly a century the use of antibiotics to treat infectious diseases has benefited human and animal health. In recent years there has been an increase in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, in part attributed to the overuse of compounds in clinical and farming settings. The genusListeriacurrently comprises 17 recognized species found throughout the environment.Listeria monocytogenesis the etiological agent of listeriosis in humans and many vertebrate species, including birds, whereasListeria ivanoviicauses infections mainly in ruminants.L. monocytogenesis the third-most-common cause of death from food poisoning in humans, and infection occurs in at-risk groups, including pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals.