An Interactive Mapping and Case Discussion Seminar Introducing Medical Students to Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Health.

Introduction: Integrating climate change and health into a medical school curriculum is critical for future physicians who will manage health crises caused by a rapidly changing climate. Although medical schools have increasingly included climate change in the curriculum, there remains a need to address the link between the climate crisis, environmental justice, and historical policies that shape environmental health disparities in local communities. Methods: In academic years 2021-2022 (AY22) and 2022-2023 (AY23), second-year medical students participated in a 2.5-hour seminar utilizing didactic teaching and small breakout groups that included interactive mapping activities and case scenarios. Learner knowledge and attitudes were self-assessed using pre- and postcurriculum surveys and a quiz. Qualitative thematic and content analysis was used to evaluate short-answer quiz responses and feedback. Results: Of 357 students who participated in the seminar, 208 (58%) completed both the precurriculum and postcurriculum surveys. Self-assessed ability increased significantly for all educational objectives across both years. Attitudes on the importance of climate change knowledge for patient health also improved from a mean of 3.5 precurriculum to 4.2 postcurriculum (difference = 0.7, p < .01) in AY22 and from 3.6 pre- to 4.3 postcurriculum (difference = 0.7, p < .01) in AY23 on a 5-point Likert scale. Discussion: This climate change and health session highlighting the link between environmental policy and climate change health vulnerability in the local context was successful in improving students' self-assessed ability across all stated educational objectives. Students cited the interactive small-group sessions as a major strength.

Research on smart city public health detection system and improvement technology based on intelligent multi-objective.

Introduction: With the increase of urban population density, urban sanitation becomes more severe; urban sanitation has important influence on public health. Therefore, in order to realize the detection of public health in smart cities, the research will use cutting-edge scientific and technological methods to improve urban environmental health, so as to promote the realization of public health achievements. This study introduces public health detection and optimizationtechnologies for smart cities. Methods: Firstly, a data detection system for urban public health environment was established using sensors and intelligent multi-objective technology to evaluate the water quality, air quality, and noise level of the city. Then, an intelligent garbage management system based on Tensor-flow was constructed to achieve efficient garbage collection and treatment. Finally, an intelligent traffic management system was developed to monitor and regulate urban traffic flow. Results: The results of the simulation experiment demonstrated that the life data detection system was operationally stable, with a high success rate of 98%. Furthermore, its accuracy in detecting residents' living environment data was above 95%, the maximum relative error was only 0.0465, making it a reliable and efficient tool. The waste recycling system achieved a minimum accuracy of 83.6%, the highest accuracy rate was 95.3%, making it capable of sorting and recycling urban waste effectively. Additionally, the smart traffic management system led to a 20% reduction in traffic congestion rates, 20 tonnes less tailpipe emissions and an improvement in public health and well-being. Discussion: In summary, the plan proposed in this study aims to create a more comfortable, safe, and healthy urban public health environment, while providing theoretical support for environmental health management in smart cities.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus prevalence in livestock of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Central India and its implications for public health.

The rise of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), poses a significant global health challenge, urging immediate action and continuous surveillance. With no available vaccines, monitoring pathogen presence is critical to identify at-risk areas promptly. A study was designed to assess the incidence of CCHF virus in goats and cattle using commercial ELISA IgG kits in tribal-dominated regions. Overall, 16% of the samples (n = 63/393) were positive for CCHF virus-specific IgG antibodies, whereas sero-prevalence detected in cattle 11.6% [95% CI:7-17.7] and in goats 18.9% [95% CI: 13.76-24.01], respectively. Statistically, Animal gender and age didn't significantly affect prevalence (p-value >0.05). Our finding indicates unnoticed CCHF virus circulation. Notably, lack of public awareness about zoonotic diseases in the study region was recorded. To combat this emerging tick-borne disease effectively, it's crucial to screen individuals with hemorrhagic manifestations in healthcare settings and active surveillance of ticks to prevent unwarranted public health outbreaks and design preventive interventions.

Bringing Real Inquiry-Based Science to Diverse Secondary Educational Environments: A Virtual Zebrafish Laboratory to Investigate Environmental Health.

The goal of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee WInSTEP SEPA program is to provide valuable and relevant research experiences to students and instructors in diverse secondary educational settings. Introducing an online experience allows the expansion of a proven instructional research program to a national scale and removes many common barriers. These can include lack of access to zebrafish embryos, laboratory equipment, and modern classroom facilities, which often deny disadvantaged and underrepresented students from urban and rural school districts valuable inquiry-based learning opportunities. An online repository of zebrafish embryo imagery was developed in the Carvan laboratory to assess the effects of environmental chemicals. The WInSTEP SEPA program expanded its use as an accessible online tool, complementing the existing classroom experience of our zebrafish module. This virtual laboratory environment contains images of zebrafish embryos grown in the presence of environmental toxicants (ethanol, caffeine, and nicotine), allowing students to collect data on 19 anatomical endpoints and generate significant amounts of data related to developmental toxicology and environmental health. This virtual laboratory offers students and instructors the choice of data sets that differ in the independent variables of chemical concentration and duration of postfertilization exposure. This enables students considerable flexibility in establishing their own experimental design to match the curriculum needs of each instructor.

Climate change and health: rethinking public health messaging for wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-exposures.

With the growing climate change crisis, public health agencies and practitioners must increasingly develop guidance documents addressing the public health risks and protective measures associated with multi-hazard events. Our Policy and Practice Review aims to assess current public health guidance and related messaging about co-exposure to wildfire smoke and extreme heat and recommend strengthened messaging to better protect people from these climate-sensitive hazards. We reviewed public health messaging published by governmental agencies between January 2013 and May 2023 in Canada and the United States. Publicly available resources were eligible if they discussed the co-occurrence of wildfire smoke and extreme heat and mentioned personal interventions (protective measures) to prevent exposure to either hazard. We reviewed local, regional, and national governmental agency messaging resources, such as online fact sheets and guidance documents. We assessed these resources according to four public health messaging themes, including (1) discussions around vulnerable groups and risk factors, (2) symptoms associated with these exposures, (3) health risks of each exposure individually, and (4) health risks from combined exposure. Additionally, we conducted a detailed assessment of current messaging about measures to mitigate exposure. We found 15 online public-facing resources that provided health messaging about co-exposure; however, only one discussed all four themes. We identified 21 distinct protective measures mentioned across the 15 resources. There is considerable variability and inconsistency regarding the types and level of detail across described protective measures. Of the identified 21 protective measures, nine may protect against both hazards simultaneously, suggesting opportunities to emphasize these particular messages to address both hazards together. More precise, complete, and coordinated public health messaging would protect against climate-sensitive health outcomes attributable to wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-exposures.

Public Health Relevance of US EPA Air Quality Index Activity Recommendations.

Importance: Reducing exposure to fine particulate matter (<2.5 µm [PM2.5]) air pollution improves cardiopulmonary morbidity and mortality. However, the public health relevance of air quality index (AQI) activity guidelines under present-day environmental conditions in the US has not been critically assessed. Objective: To evaluate the public health relevance of following PM2.5 AQI activity guidance in preventing serious atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and pulmonary events among adults in the US. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional modeling study involved the general adult population and sensitive individuals as designated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including adults with preexisting ASCVD or lung disease (asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The study was conducted between August 1, 2023, and January 31, 2024. Exposures: Daily AQI strata for PM2.5 and the corresponding activity recommendations. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was the number needed to treat (NNT) per day by following activity guidance across daily AQI strata to prevent 1 serious ASCVD or pulmonary event among relevant populations. To calculate PM2.5-induced excess disease event rates per day, estimated baseline disease-specific daily event rates for each group were multiplied by the increase in risks due to PM2.5 levels at each AQI stratum. The number of events prevented per day was calculated by multiplying each excess disease event rate by the percentage in exposure reduction plausibly incurred by following population-specific activity guidance at each AQI level. The NNT is the reciprocal of the number of events prevented. Results: The NNT to prevent ASCVD events was high for the general population and for patients with ASCVD across all AQI strata. The range of values was comparatively lower to prevent pulmonary events among adults with lung disease. During most days (96%) when activity recommendations were promulgated due to elevated PM2.5 (AQI, 101-200), the NNT to prevent a serious disease event remained very high for the general population (>18 million), patients with ASCVD (approximately 1.6-5 million), and adults with lung disease (approximately 66 000-202 000). Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that existing PM2.5 AQI activity recommendations are of questionable public health relevance in present-day conditions and merit consideration for updating to improve their potential effectiveness.

[A top-down path to promote environmental justice in a contaminated area. The experience with the community of Porto Torres (Sardinia, Italy)]. / Un percorso top-down di promozione della giustizia ambientale in un sito contaminato. L'esperienza con la comunità di Porto Torres.

Nowadays, in Italy, researchers from various disciplines and institutions are referring to environmental justice to promote health equity in relation to environmental risks and benefits. This presents an opportunity for the convergence of bottom-up and top-down perspectives, which differ in nature, to advance environmental justice at the local level. This contribution presents the experience of researchers from the Italian National Institute of Health in the contaminated area of Porto Torres (Sardinia). The experience began with the development of study activities aimed at describing the health profile of the population residing in Porto Torres. These activities embraced the requests of the local community and included interactions with local institutional and social actors. The study activities were designed with a focus on environmental justice, which requires an understanding of the local context and of its history. The contribution describes the various stages that led from the development of the study to the engagement with local institutional and social actors, communication of study results, and participation in local initiatives on environmental justice. Finally, the text proposes some considerations on how researchers from a central institution can develop and conduct study activities to promote environmental justice at the local level.

Comparison of analysis methods to classify cholera hotspots in Ethiopia from 2015 to 2021.

Cholera continues to represent a major public health concern in Ethiopia. The country has developed a Multi-sectoral National Cholera Elimination Plan in 2022, which targets prevention and control interventions in cholera hotspots. Multiple methods to classify cholera hotspots have been used in several countries. Since 2014, a classification method developed by United Nations Children's Fund has been applied to guide water, sanitation and hygiene interventions throughout Sub-Saharan Africa based on three outbreak parameters: frequency, duration and standardized attack rate. In 2019, the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) proposed a method based on two parameters: average annual cholera incidence and persistence. In 2023, an updated GTFCC method for multisectoral interventions considers three epidemiological indicators (cumulative incidence, cumulative mortality and persistence,) and a cholera-case confirmation indicator. The current study aimed to classify cholera hotspots in Ethiopia at the woreda level (equivalent to district level) applying the three methods and comparing the results to optimize the hotspot targeting strategy. From 2015 to 2021, cholera hotspots were located along major routes between Addis Ababa and woredas adjacent to the Kenya and Somalia borders, throughout Tigray Region, around Lake Tana, and in Afar Region. The multi-method comparison enables decision makers to prioritize interventions according to a sub-classification of the highest-priority areas.

Revisiting the relationship between natural resources and environmental quality- can ICT break the "resource curse" in the environment?

Despite the prevalence of discussions on the "resource curse", the impact of natural resources on environmental quality for better or for worse has not been clearly answered, this study aims to answer the question by introducing the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). To that end, by using the Instrumental Variable Generalized Method of Moments (IV GMM) estimator and a sample of 102 developing and emerging economies from 2006 to 2016, this paper studies the impact of ICT on the relationship between natural resources and environmental quality. Specially, the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) captures the environmental quality. The results show that natural resources have a significant negative effect on EPI, specially, EPI decreases by one unit with a 1% increase in natural resource rents. ICT significantly mitigates this adverse effect, and marginal effects analysis further confirms its positive moderate effects. The results proved to be robust by Lewbel 2SLS and Driscoll-Kraay techniques or other robust tests. It is noteworthy that the adverse effect of natural resources on EPI is greater and the mitigating effect of ICT is more pronounced in low-income countries and lower-middle income countries. Overall, these results remind resource-based countries to vigorously develop ICT, and apply intelligent exploration, digital monitoring, or other digital technologies to realize the high-efficiency use of natural resources, reducing environmental pollution and ecological damage.

Is the sustainability of exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation possible? / ¿Es posible la sostenibilidad de la exposición a las radiaciones electromagnéticas no ionizantes?

Technological advances imply an increase in artificially generating sources of electromagnetic fields (EMF), therefore, resulting in a permanent exposure of people and the environment (electromagnetic pollution). Inconsistent results have been published considering the evaluated health effects. The purpose of this study was to review scientific literature on EMF to provide a global and retrospective perspective, on the association between human exposure to non-ionizing radiation (NIR, mainly radiofrequency-EMF) and health and environmental effects. Studies on the health effects of 5G radiation exposure have not yet been performed with sufficient statistical power, as the exposure time is still relatively short and also the latency and intensity of exposure to 5G. The safety standards only consider thermal effects, do not contemplate non-thermal effects. We consider relevant to communicate this knowledge to the general public to improve education in this field, and to healthcare professionals to prevent diseases that may result from RF-EMF exposures. (AU)

Los avances tecnológicos implican un aumento de las fuentes artificiales que generan campos electromagnéticos (CEM), esto se traduce en una exposición permanente de las personas y el medio ambiente (contaminación electromagnética) a CEM. Se han publicado resultados contradictorios en cuanto a los efectos evaluados sobre la salud. El propósito de este estudio fue revisar la literatura científica sobre CEM para proporcionar una perspectiva global y retrospectiva, sobre la asociación entre la exposición humana a la radiación no ionizante (RNI, principalmente CEM en el rango de las radiofrecuencias) y los efectos sobre la salud y el medio ambiente. Aún no se han realizado estudios sobre los efectos en la salud de la exposición a la radiación 5G con suficiente potencia estadística, ya que el tiempo de exposición es todavía relativamente corto, igual que ocurre con la latencia y la intensidad de la exposición a la 5G. Las normas de seguridad solo consideran los efectos térmicos, no contemplan los efectos no térmicos. Consideramos relevante comunicar el conocimiento actual sobre este tema tanto al público en general para mejorar la educación en este campo, como a los profesionales sanitarios para prevenir las enfermedades que puedan derivarse de las exposiciones a RF-EMF. (AU)

Academic success, engagement and self-efficacy of first-year university students:personal variables and first-semester performance / Éxito académico, compromiso y autoeficacia de los estudiantes universitarios de primer año: variables personales y desempeño del primer semestre

La educación superior puede ser extremadamente transformadora para los estudiantes y tiene un papel importante en la formación del capital humano, en la innovación y en el desarrollo social, cultural y ambiental de la sociedad. La expansión de la educación superior promovió el acceso de una mezcla de estudiantes más heterogénea, pero garantizar el acceso no garantiza el éxito académico. Este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar los predictores de desempeño académico en 447 estudiantes de primer año en el 1er y 2do semestre, considerando variables como sexo, edad, nivel educativo de los padres y calificaciones al ingresar a la educación superior, junto con los niveles de compromiso académico e autoeficacia de los estudiantes tras algunas semanas en la universidad. Los resultados muestran trayectorias estadísticamente significativas para sexo, edad y GPA hasta el desempeño del primer semestre, para los niveles educativos de los padres hasta la autoeficacia percibida, para la implicación académica de los estudiantes hasta el desempeño del primer semestre y el desempeño del primer semestre hasta el desempeño del segundo semestre La participación académica de los estudiantes también tuvo un efecto indirecto en el desempeño del segundo semestre. La correlación entre compromiso académica y autoeficacia fue positiva, fuerte y estadísticamente significativa. El modelo explicó el 35.2% de la varianza del rendimiento académico en el segundo semestre y el 15.0% de la varianza del rendimiento académico en el primer semestre. El conocimiento sobre los predictores del rendimiento académico y la importancia del compromiso y la autoeficacia respaldará las intervenciones oportunas, promoviendo el éxito y previniendo el fracaso y el abandono.(AU)

Higher education can be hugely transformative for students and has an important role in empowering human capital, innovation, and socie-ty’s social, cultural, and environmental development. The expansion of higher education has promoted access for a more heterogeneous mix of students, but ensuring access does not guarantee academic success. This paper aims to analyse predictors of academic achievement in 447 first-year students in their 1stand 2ndsemesters, considering variables including sex, age, parents’ educational level and grades on entering higher education, along with levels of students’ academic engagement and self-efficacy after some weeks at university. Results show statistically significant paths for sex, age, and GPA to 1st-semester achievement, for parent’s educational levels to perceived self-efficacy, for students’ academic engagement to 1st-semester achievement, and 1st-semester achievement to 2nd-semester achievement. Students’ academic engagement also had an indirect effect on the 2nd-semester achievement. The correlation between academic engage-ment and self-efficacy was positive, strong, and statistically significant. The model explained 35.2% of the variance in 2nd-semester achievement and 15.0% of the variance in 1st-semester achievement. Knowledge about pre-dictors of academic achievement and the importance of engagement and self-efficacy will support timely interventions, promoting success and pre-venting failure and dropout.(AU)

What are the effects of smoke-free and tobacco-free university campus policies, and how can they be assessed? A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: This article looks at the evaluation of smoke-free (SF) and tobacco-free (TF) university campus policies that ban smoking (and often vaping) both indoors and outdoors. To assess the effectiveness of these policies, we performed a systematic literature review to answer the following questions: what is the effect of SF/TF policies on campus users' behaviors/norms/perceptions around smoking? Are the SF/TF policies an effective measure for reducing smoking among young adults? What methods and indicators can we use to assess the impact of SF/TF campus policies? What is the theoretical model underpinning the influence of SF/TF policies on the behavior of campus users? METHODS: Three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched over the period from January 2005 to December 2022. The article selection process included 54 articles published in scientific journals that analyzed the post-implementation impact of SF/TF campus policies. The quality of these articles was analyzed using six ad hoc indicators based on the Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist and Joanna Briggs Institute scoping tools. RESULTS: Most of the research on SF/TF campus policies has been conducted in the United States using quantitative methodologies. Most of these studies show that SF/TF policies reduce positive beliefs about smoking and its acceptability, influence smoking behavior (reducing smoking initiation and increasing the number of quits and quit attempts), and reduce exposure to passive smoking and pollution from cigarette butts. User acceptability of SF/TF policies is generally high. Limitations of SF/TF campus policies include difficulty for smokers to comply with them, persistence of passive smoking around campuses, and limited uptake of on-campus cessation support services provided to smokers. DISCUSSION: The various mediating and moderating variables identified in the literature have made it possible to propose a model of the potential influence of SF/TF policy on campus users, based on the theory of planned behavior. Based on this review, we provide health professionals and higher education institutions wishing to implement a SF/TF campus policy with a set of indicators that can serve to assess the impact of a SF/TF campus policy (attitudes, acceptability, beliefs, norms, exposure to passive smoking and pollution, changes in smoking behavior). CONCLUSION: Based on scientific evidence, the implementation of SF/TF campus policies in France is an important measure to help combat smoking in young adults.

Servicio Autónomo Instituto de Altos Estudios "Dr. Arnoldo Gabaldon"

Ente adscrito al Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Salud que ofrece programas de formación de posgrado, formación permanente y de interacción social para dar respuesta a las necesidades del Sistema Público Nacional de Salud, eventos edición de publicaciones, incluyendo el Boletin de Malariología y Salud Ambiental.

River water pollution in Lebanon: the country's most underestimated public health challenge.

Background: Due to the several interconnected crises that Lebanon has been facing for the past 4 years, many important social and environmental issues have been overlooked until more "pressing" ones are dealt with. Consequently, water pollution in Lebanon continues to worsen. Aim: This study aimed to describe the microbiological and chemical properties of the 10 main rivers in Lebanon and to assess their suitability for irrigation, while exploring some of the solutions to the problem. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated the pollution level of water from 10 rivers in Lebanon in June 2023 and their suitability for irrigation. Samples were collected at 3°C and their quality parameters were measured. Statistical analysis was conducted using R statistical software version 4.0.2. Results: Compared to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guidelines for safe irrigation water use, 4 out of the 10 samples had pH levels exceeding the permissible threshold, resulting in severe limitations on their usability. Three rivers had nitrate concentrations that exceeded the approved range, thus constraining their severe usage. Among the rivers, 60% had Escherichia coli levels higher than the permissible spectrum and 40% had faecal coliform counts exceeding FAO's upper limit recommendation. All water sources, however, had total dissolved solid levels that were within the recommended range. Conclusions: Polluted water can have a negative impact on human, wildlife and ecosystem health. Most of the assessed rivers in our study contained bacterial colonies, above the maximum recommended internationally. There is therefore an urgent need to address pollution issues in Lebanese waters to make them suitable for irrigation and other uses.

Assessing the impact of temperature on the duration of COVID-19 transmission in Terengganu, Malaysia: Implications for public health strategies.

INTRODUCTION: The SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic and its associated high morbidity and mortality, continues to be a significant public health concern. This study investigates the influence of temperature variables on COVID-19 transmission in Terengganu, Malaysia, which, despite having experienced a comparatively lower number of cases, presents a unique environment for understanding how temperature factors may play a critical role in virus transmission dynamics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a descriptive analysis to assess the spatial distribution of COVID-19 cases in our study area. To explore the relationship between temperature variables and COVID-19 transmission, we employed Pearson correlation analysis, examining the correlations between daily average, minimum, and maximum temperature data and the temporal distribution of COVID-19 cases as reported by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia. This approach allowed us to comprehensively investigate the impact of weather on the transmission dynamics of COVID-19. RESULTS: Our findings reveal a noteworthy correlation (p<0.05) between average and maximum temperatures and COVID-19 transmission, highlighting the influence of weather on disease dynamics. Notably, exceptions were observed in the Hulu Terengganu district, where fewer than 10 cases occurred in each sub-district throughout the study period, warranting special consideration. CONCLUSION: In summary, our study highlights the significance of temperature in shaping COVID-19 transmission. This stresses the importance of including weather variables in pandemic strategies. We also suggest comparing various cities to broaden our understanding of how weather affects disease spread, aiding future public health efforts.

Gene Target Prediction of Environmental Chemicals Using Coupled Matrix-Matrix Completion.

Human exposure to toxic chemicals presents a huge health burden. Key to understanding chemical toxicity is knowledge of the molecular target(s) of the chemicals. Because a comprehensive safety assessment for all chemicals is infeasible due to limited resources, a robust computational method for discovering targets of environmental exposures is a promising direction for public health research. In this study, we implemented a novel matrix completion algorithm named coupled matrix-matrix completion (CMMC) for predicting direct and indirect exposome-target interactions, which exploits the vast amount of accumulated data regarding chemical exposures and their molecular targets. Our approach achieved an AUC of 0.89 on a benchmark data set generated using data from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database. Our case studies with bisphenol A and its analogues, PFAS, dioxins, PCBs, and VOCs show that CMMC can be used to accurately predict molecular targets of novel chemicals without any prior bioactivity knowledge. Our results demonstrate the feasibility and promise of computationally predicting environmental chemical-target interactions to efficiently prioritize chemicals in hazard identification and risk assessment.

'They Talk about the Weather, but No One Does Anything about It': A Mixed-Methods Study of Everyday Climate Change Conversations.

Understanding everyday conversations about climate change may provide insights into framing the issue to promote climate change action. As part of a longitudinal online study in the US launched in June 2021, 805 respondents were asked if they had discussed climate change with a friend or family member in the prior month; if not, why not, and if yes, they were asked to delineate the conversation topic. Concurrent mixed methods were used to analyze the data. The majority (62.6%) of respondents reported not having a conversation about climate change in the prior month. Among those who indicated that they had discussed climate change, five themes were identified from the conversation topics, with many having reported discussing the impact of climate change on weather patterns. Very few discussed actions to address climate change, and most of these discussions focused on individual-level behaviors rather than collective actions. Among participants who had not recently discussed climate change, the most prevalent theme was that it was not a priority or an issue they cared about. Results suggest that conversations may not lead to collective actions and that policymakers and environmental organizations should provide guidance on effectively channeling climate change concerns into action.

Optimizing the Indoor Air Quality in Historical Buildings: Strategies for Environmental Improvement and Public Health Enhancement.

The endeavor to maintain and enhance the indoor air quality (IAQ) in historical buildings transcends the traditional boundaries of cultural heritage preservation, emerging as a pivotal public health concern [...].

Human-animal entanglements in bushmeat trading in Sierra Leone: An ethnographic assessment of a potential zoonotic interface.

'Bushmeat' markets are often portrayed as chaotic spaces where exotic wild animals are sold. They are hypothesized to be important sites for zoonotic disease transmission, given the prolonged and intense nature of the cross-species encounters that occur within them. Whilst such markets have received some attention from researchers, rich qualitative descriptions of everyday practices in these markets are rare. Depictions of wild animal markets as sites for potential viral amplification often rely on exoticizing assumptions and narratives rather than actual evidence, and in some cases are based more on ideology than on science. We provide an in-depth ethnographic account of two bushmeat markets in Bo, Sierra Leone. Our analysis goes beyond common assumptions that zoonotic risk is located solely in the knowledge and behaviours of traders. Our account sheds light on the modes of touch, closeness and contact that shape this hypothesised zoonotic interface, outlining the possible risks to different people who use and spend time in the market. We found that inadequate infrastructure and sanitation facilities created risks of zoonotic disease transmission for diverse actors including traders, customers, children, and the wider public. Butchering and trading practices frequently resulted in people directly and indirectly encountering animal fluids. We also discuss how public health management of these markets focused on individual behaviours rather than on improving conditions. Urgent sanitary reform and infrastructure upgrades in these sites that support the economic needs of traders could encourage voluntary compliance with biosafety measures amongst traders seeking to balance responsibilities to family and public health. Our study reveals the value of moving beyond exoticized narratives about bushmeat markets to yield situated insights for reducing risk at this interface.