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One Health and Cyanobacteria in Freshwater Systems: Animal Illnesses and Deaths are Sentinel Events for Human Health Risks
Citation:
Hilborn, E AND V. Beasley. One Health and Cyanobacteria in Freshwater Systems: Animal Illnesses and Deaths are Sentinel Events for Human Health Risks. Toxins. MDPI, Basel, Switzerland, 7(4):1374-1395, (2015).
Impact/Purpose:
Title was modified for publication from: "Animals as Sentinels for Human Health Risk: One Health and Cyanobacteria in Freshwater Systems" Cyanobacteria and their toxins occur in surface water sources worldwide. Animals are chronically exposed to untreated water and may experience more severe health effects than humans, including death. We searched the literature for reports of human and animal illness to evaluate where animals served as sentinels for human health risk. We describe the circumstances that must occur to effectively integrate reports of animal’s cyanobacteria-associated illness and death to protect human health.
Description:
Harmful cyanobacterial blooms have adversely impacted human and animal health for thousands of years. Recently, the health impacts of harmful cyanobacteria blooms are becoming more frequently detected and reported. However, reports of human and animal illnesses or deaths associated with hannful cyanobacteria blooms tend to be investigated and reported separately. Consequently, professionals working in human or in animal health do not always communicate findings related to these events with one another. Using the One Health concept of integration and collaboration among health disciplines, we systematically review the existing literature to discover where harmful cyanobacteria-associated animal illnesses and deaths have served assentinel events to warn of potential human health risks. We find that illnesses or deaths among livestock, dogs and fish are all potentially useful as sentinel events for the presence of harmful cyanobacteria that may impact human health. We also describe ways to enhance the value of reports of cyanobacteria-associated illnesses and deaths in animals to protect human health. Efficient monitoring of environmental and aninal health in a One Health collaborative framework can provide vital warnings of cyanobacteria-associated human health risks.
