One Health is described as the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally, to attain optimal health for humans, animals, and the environment. It recognizes the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) which are closely linked and interdependent. The final aim of One Health is to sustainably balance and optimize the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems. It is a collaborative global approach to understanding and managing risks for planetary health and encouraging a more sustainable ecosystem balance.
In recent years, many factors have changed the interactions between humans, animals, plants, and the environment. These changes have led to the spread of existing or known (endemic) and new or emerging zoonotic diseases that can spread between animals and humans. Every year, millions of humans and animals are affected by zoonotic diseases worldwide. Emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases represent a public health challenge of global concern. They include a large group of tropical diseases (TDs), many of which are zoonotic in nature. TDs are especially common in tropical areas, including several countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where humans do not have full access to clean water or safe ways to dispose of human waste. TDs include several parasitic, viral, and bacterial diseases which are transmitted directly from person to person or through vectors (e.g., insects and mollusks), and cause more than one million deaths of humans globally. Affecting the world’s poorest humans, TDs impair physical and cognitive development, contribute to mother and child illness and death, affect humans’ ability to work, and limit productivity at work. As a result, TDs trap the poor in a cycle of poverty and disease.
While great efforts in epidemiology, vector control, and the use of drugs have been very helpful in bringing reduced incidence alongside great advancements toward TDs eradication, elimination is far from being in sight. Moreover, environmental factors greatly influence the prevalence of TDs. More effective and environmentally friendly strategies are needed to support TDs control. Advancing knowledge of the host-pathogen biology, especially their interactions, could help develop appropriate interventions based on advanced tools to control TDs. Controlling, preventing, or eliminating TDs is dependent on a better understanding of their genetics, mechanisms of infection, and prevention and control methods (such as diagnostics/drugs/vaccines and vector control methods).
This Research Topic focuses on the latest research development on the aspects of pathogenesis, host-pathogen interactions, diagnostics, drugs, and vaccine development for the control and prevention of TDs. These also include, but are not limited to malaria, schistosomiasis, echinococcosis, soil-transmitted helminthiases, leishmaniasis, onchocerciasis, colibacillosis, and rabies.
We welcome prospective authors to contribute Original Research articles and Review articles for this forthcoming Research Topic, covering the following topics:
1. Regulation of host immune responses and pathogenesis;
2. Molecular evolution and mechanisms of immune evasion;
3. Host-pathogen interactions;
4. Screening and identifying novel diagnostic, vaccine, and drug candidates;
5. One Health approach for the control and prevention of TDs.
One Health is described as the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally, to attain optimal health for humans, animals, and the environment. It recognizes the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) which are closely linked and interdependent. The final aim of One Health is to sustainably balance and optimize the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems. It is a collaborative global approach to understanding and managing risks for planetary health and encouraging a more sustainable ecosystem balance.
In recent years, many factors have changed the interactions between humans, animals, plants, and the environment. These changes have led to the spread of existing or known (endemic) and new or emerging zoonotic diseases that can spread between animals and humans. Every year, millions of humans and animals are affected by zoonotic diseases worldwide. Emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases represent a public health challenge of global concern. They include a large group of tropical diseases (TDs), many of which are zoonotic in nature. TDs are especially common in tropical areas, including several countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where humans do not have full access to clean water or safe ways to dispose of human waste. TDs include several parasitic, viral, and bacterial diseases which are transmitted directly from person to person or through vectors (e.g., insects and mollusks), and cause more than one million deaths of humans globally. Affecting the world’s poorest humans, TDs impair physical and cognitive development, contribute to mother and child illness and death, affect humans’ ability to work, and limit productivity at work. As a result, TDs trap the poor in a cycle of poverty and disease.
While great efforts in epidemiology, vector control, and the use of drugs have been very helpful in bringing reduced incidence alongside great advancements toward TDs eradication, elimination is far from being in sight. Moreover, environmental factors greatly influence the prevalence of TDs. More effective and environmentally friendly strategies are needed to support TDs control. Advancing knowledge of the host-pathogen biology, especially their interactions, could help develop appropriate interventions based on advanced tools to control TDs. Controlling, preventing, or eliminating TDs is dependent on a better understanding of their genetics, mechanisms of infection, and prevention and control methods (such as diagnostics/drugs/vaccines and vector control methods).
This Research Topic focuses on the latest research development on the aspects of pathogenesis, host-pathogen interactions, diagnostics, drugs, and vaccine development for the control and prevention of TDs. These also include, but are not limited to malaria, schistosomiasis, echinococcosis, soil-transmitted helminthiases, leishmaniasis, onchocerciasis, colibacillosis, and rabies.
We welcome prospective authors to contribute Original Research articles and Review articles for this forthcoming Research Topic, covering the following topics:
1. Regulation of host immune responses and pathogenesis;
2. Molecular evolution and mechanisms of immune evasion;
3. Host-pathogen interactions;
4. Screening and identifying novel diagnostic, vaccine, and drug candidates;
5. One Health approach for the control and prevention of TDs.