Zoonotic infectious diseases have been an important concern to humankind for more than 10,000 years. Today, approximately 75% of newly emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are zoonoses that result from various anthropogenic, genetic, ecologic, socioeconomic, and climatic factors. These interrelated driving forces make it difficult to predict and to prevent zoonotic EIDs. Although significant improvements in environmental and medical surveillance, clinical diagnostic methods, and medical practices have been achieved in the recent years, zoonotic EIDs remain a major global concern, and such threats are expanding, especially in less developed regions. The current Ebola epidemic in West Africa is an extreme stark reminder of the role animal reservoirs play in public health and reinforces the urgent need for globally operationalizing a One Health approach. The complex nature of zoonotic diseases and the limited resources in developing countries are a reminder that the need for implementation of Global One Health in low-resource settings is crucial. The Veterinary Public Health and Biotechnology (VPH-Biotec) Global Consortium launched the International Congress on Pathogens at the Human-Animal Interface (ICOPHAI) in order to address important challenges and needs for capacity building. The inaugural ICOPHAI (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2011) and the second congress (Porto de Galinhas, Brazil, 2013) were unique opportunities to share and discuss issues related to zoonotic infectious diseases worldwide. In addition to strong scientific reports in eight thematic areas that necessitate One Health implementation, the congress identified four key capacity-building needs: (1) development of adequate science-based risk management policies, (2) skilled-personnel capacity building, (3) accredited veterinary and public health diagnostic laboratories with a shared database, and (4) improved use of existing natural resources and implementation. The aim of this review is to highlight advances in key zoonotic disease areas and the One Health capacity needs.

Background: Over the last decade, nosocomial infections due to Acinetobacter baumannii have been described with an increasing trend towards multidrug resistance, mostly in intensive care units. The aim of the present study was to determine the clonal relatedness of clinical isolates and to elucidate the genetic basis of imipenem resistance. Methods: A. baumannii isolates (n = 83) originated from two hospital settings in central Ohio were used in this study. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis genotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility testing for clinically relevant antimicrobials were performed. Resistance determinants were characterized by using different phenotypic (accumulation assay for efflux) and genotypic (PCR, DNA sequencing, plasmid analysis and electroporation) approaches. Results: The isolates were predominantly multidrug resistant (>79.5%) and comprised of thirteen unique pulsotypes, with genotype VII circulating in both hospitals. The presence of bla _OXA-23 in 13% (11/83) and IS _Aba1 linked bla _OXA-66 in 79.5% (66/83) of clinical isolates was associated with high level imipenem resistance. In this set of OXA producing isolates, multidrug resistance was bestowed by bla _ADC-25, class 1 integron-borne aminoglycoside modifying enzymes, presence of sense mutations in gyrA/parC and involvement of active efflux (with evidence for the presence of adeB efflux gene). Conclusion: This study underscores the major role of carbapenem-hydrolyzing class D β-lactamases, and in particular the acquired OXA-23, in the dissemination of imipenem-resistant A. baumannii. The co-occurrence of additional resistance determinant could also be a significant threat.

There has been a growing niche-market, outdoor, antimicrobial-free (ABF) swine production system in the last few years prompted by consumers' demand for a more “natural” pork product. The impact of such production systems on reemergence of current and historically significant swine-associated pathogens has not been determined. The objectives of the current study were to determine and compare Salmonella, Toxoplasma, and Trichinella seropositivity in two swine production systems: outdoor ABF and intensive indoor production systems. These three foodborne pathogens represent those with the highest importance for pork consumption. A total of 675 serum samples from three participating states, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Ohio, were investigated. We found significantly higher seroprevalence of Salmonella and Toxoplasma from ABF herds (54% and 7%, respectively) than conventional (39% and 1%, respectively) (p = 0.001). Two pigs, both from ABF herds, were found to be seropositive for Trichinella. The results from this preliminary study suggest that all three pathogens were more commonly present in pigs that were reared in an ABF, outdoor, niche-market type of environment than the conventional, indoor-reared herds though there were some geographical variation in Salmonella. This warrants a robust epidemiologic study to determine the role of various risk factors in the two production systems that may lead to persistence of bacterial (Salmonella) pathogens and reemergence of parasites (such as Trichinella) of historical significance.

Salmonella enterica is an important foodborne pathogen, and contamination of surface and ground water that may result from various human activities, such as animal production and urbanization, may contribute to the public health burden. The aims of this study was to determine the sources of Salmonella contamination in four different types of watersheds and to assess the relative contribution of multidrug-resistant strains. Eighty-six water samples collected from four different watershed systems, including those impacted by swine production (n = 12), residential/industrial (n = 34), crop agriculture (n = 12), and forestry (n = 28), were cultured for Salmonella and further characterized by serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis genotyping. Salmonella prevalence was high in all four watersheds: residential/industrial area (58.8%), forestry (57.1%), crop agriculture (50%), and swine production (41.7%). Majority of the Salmonella isolates (87.1%) were pansusceptible. Multidrug resistance up to eight antimicrobials (R-type: AmStTeAxChCeKmGm) was detected in water samples that originated from swine production systems only. Serovars identified included Anatum, Gaminara, and Inverness (18.3% each) and Muenchen and Newport (8.7% each), Bredeny (7.6%), and Montevideo (6.8%). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis indicated genotypic relatedness among Salmonella recovered from residential/industrial and forestry-associated watersheds (genotypic cluster types A, C, D, E, F, G, H, and J), sites with relatively close geographic proximity. Swine-production-associated isolates were distinctly different from the others (genotypic cluster types B and I), corroborating the phenotypic findings. Overall, the findings suggest that all the various watersheds, including natural forest, remain important contributors of Salmonella contamination. While swine-production-associated water samples were not found to have a disproportionately high prevalence, it was the most important reservoir of multidrug-resistant strains.