One Health activities to reinforce intersectoral coordination at local levels in India.

India's dense human and animal populations, agricultural economy, changing environment, and social dynamics support conditions for emergence/re-emergence of zoonotic diseases that necessitate a One Health (OH) approach for control. In addition to OH national level frameworks, effective OH driven strategies that promote local intersectoral coordination and collaboration are needed to truly address zoonotic diseases in India. We conducted a literature review to assess the landscape of OH activities at local levels in India that featured intersectoral coordination and collaboration and supplemented it with our own experience conducting OH related activities with local partners. We identified key themes and examples in local OH activities. Our landscape assessment demonstrated that intersectoral collaboration primarily occurs through specific research activities and during outbreaks, however, there is limited formal coordination among veterinary, medical, and environmental professionals on the day-to-day prevention and detection of zoonotic diseases at district/sub-district levels in India. Examples of local OH driven intersectoral coordination include the essential role of veterinarians in COVID-19 diagnostics, testing of human samples in veterinary labs for Brucella and leptospirosis in Punjab and Tamil Nadu, respectively, and implementation of OH education targeted to school children and farmers in rural communities. There is an opportunity to strengthen local intersectoral coordination between animal, human and environmental health sectors by building on these activities and formalizing the existing collaborative networks. As India moves forward with broad OH initiatives, OH networks and experience at the local level from previous or ongoing activities can support implementation from the ground up.

Status of Urinary shedders of Leptospires among cattle in Tamilnadu: Implications on zoonosis.

Bovine leptospirosis causes jaundice, mastitis, infertility, abortion, and death of the animal. This research aimed to study the status of urinary shedders of pathogenic Leptospira among the cattle population and identify the infecting serogroup circulating in this region. A total of 305 blood and 305 urine samples were collected from organized farms (n = 44), individually housed animals (n = 81) and animals from the slaughterhouse (n = 180). Microscopic agglutination test was carried out to detect anti­leptospiral antibodies. Dark­field microscopic examination and culture of urine were done to detect and isolate the Leptospira. The isolated Leptospira were identified by cross­agglutination test and gene sequencing. PCR and real­time PCR were carried out to detect leptospiral genomic DNA in urine samples to detect the shedders. The anti­leptospiral antibodies were detected in 6.2% of animals. The Leptospira genomic DNA was detected in 9.2% (28 of 305) of urine samples. Of the 28 Leptospira positive urine samples, 39.2% were from animals with clinical signs suggestive of leptospirosis and 60.8% Leptospira positive samples were from slaughterhouse animals. The Leptospira isolated were identified as Leptospira interrogans serogroup Sejroe and Hebdomadis. The present study demonstrates the need to include leptospirosis in cattle health surveillance programmes to prevent leptospirosis by vaccination, preventing renal carriage.

Complete Genome Sequences of Lineage IV Peste des Petits Ruminants Viruses from the Indian Subcontinent.

The complete genome sequences of two virulent lineage IV peste des petits ruminants viruses (PPRVs) isolated from clinically infected goats in the Indian subcontinent are reported here. This is the first report of a complete genome sequence of a virulent PPRV isolate from India in recent decades.

Virus Excretion from Foot-And-Mouth Disease Virus Carrier Cattle and Their Potential Role in Causing New Outbreaks.

The role of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) carrier cattle in causing new outbreaks is still a matter of debate and it is important to find out these carrier animals by post-outbreak serosurveillance to declare freedom from FMDV infection. In this study we explore the differences in viral shedding between carrier and non-carrier animals, quantify the transmission rate of FMDV infection from carriers to susceptible animals and identify potential viral determinants of viral persistence. We collected nasal and saliva samples from 32 vaccinated and 7 unvaccinated FMDV carrier cattle and 48 vaccinated and 13 unvaccinated non-carrier cattle (total n=100) during the acute phase of infection (up to 28 days post-challenge) and then from limited number of animals up to a maximum 168 days post-challenge. We demonstrate that unvaccinated cattle excrete significantly higher levels of virus for longer periods compared with vaccinated cattle and this is independent of whether or not they subsequently become carriers. By introducing naïve cattle in to the FMDV carrier population we show the risk of new outbreaks is clearly very low in controlled conditions, although there could still be a potential threat of these carrier animals causing new outbreaks in the field situation. Finally, we compared the complete genome sequences of viruses from carrier cattle with the challenge virus and found no evidence for viral determinants of the carrier state.