The One Health Concept.

The concept of One Health has been developed as the appreciation that human health is intricately connected to those of other animals and the environment that they inhabit. In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic and noticeable effects of climate change have encouraged national and international cooperation to apply One Health strategies to address key issues of health and welfare. The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals have established targets for health and wellbeing, clean water and sanitation, climate action, as well as sustainability in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The One Health Quadripartite comprises the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH-formerly OIE), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). There are six areas of focus which are Laboratory services, Control of zoonotic diseases, Neglected tropical diseases, Antimicrobial resistance, Food safety and Environmental health. This article discusses the concept of One Health by considering examples of infectious diseases and environmental issues under each of those six headings. Biomedical Scientists, Clinical Scientists and their colleagues working in diagnostic and research laboratories have a key role to play in applying the One Health approach to key areas of healthcare in the 21st Century.

The contribution of hand drying in prevention of transmission of microorganisms: Comparison of the efficacy of three hand drying methods in the removal and distribution of microorganisms.

Background: Hand hygiene is a key tool in infection control. While methods of hand washing have been widely researched, there have been fewer studies investigating the effectiveness of available ways to dry hands in public areas. Aims: This study compared the efficacy of using paper towels (PT), warm air dryers (WAD) and jet air dryers (JAD) after hand washing in terms of microbiological effectiveness and potential for dispersal of pathogens. Methods: Microbial flora on palms and fingertips of 30 subjects were sampled on nutrient agar plates before washing hands and after drying with PTs, WADs and JADs. Total colony forming units (cfus) were recorded. Walls in the vicinity of a PT dispenser, WAD and JAD in female and male washrooms were sampled for the presence of viable microorganisms. Results: Mean cfu significantly reduced after drying with PTs (palms t= 2.67, p <0.05; fingertips t=4.44, p<0.01) significantly increased after using WADs (palms t=3.11, p<0.01; fingertips t=2.06, p<0.05), but there was no difference with JAD (palms t= 1.85, p>0.05; fingertips t=0.97, p>0.05). Some dispersal of organisms was detected on the washroom walls, with the least distribution around PT dispensers and unusual opportunistic pathogens isolated from the JAD units. Discussion: PTs are more effective at drying hands than WADs and JADs, they are more likely to be used appropriately and lead to minimal dispersal of microorganisms from wet hands.

Diagnostic virology and patient care: from vaguely interesting to vitally important.

The existence of pathogenic viruses was inferred by experiments at the turn of the twentieth century. Key developments in detection of viruses, including electron microscopy and monolayer cell culture, were made in the middle of that century. However, in terms of patient care, the results from the virology laboratory often arrived the patient was 'better or dead'. The advent of molecular techniques, particularly polymerase chain reaction and more recently whole genome sequencing made timely and accurate diagnosis of viral infections feasible. A range of approaches have been taken to identify and characterise new viruses. Vaccines against viruses have made it possible to eliminate two pathogenic mammalian viruses altogether, with several others close to eradication. The role of biomedical scientists working in diagnostic virology is more relevant to patient care than ever.

Effect of staff attitudes on quality in clinical microbiology services.

Technical quality of the work of clinical pathology laboratories is monitored regularly by both internal and external sources. Among the factors that might affect quality, laboratory staff attitudes are rarely considered. In this study, the psychological concepts of 'job satisfaction' and 'climate' are measured among microbiology biomedical scientists in the United Kingdom. A self-report questionnaire was developed and distributed (between November 1998 and February 1999) to biomedical scientists in 161 microbiology laboratories throughout the UK From 2415 questionnaires distributed, 931 replies were received--a response rate of 39%. A separate set of questions covering customer service and participation in internal and external quality assurance schemes was sent to laboratory managers. Biomedical scientists reported lower job satisfaction than did medical technologists in a previous study in the USA. Perception of climate was influenced by several demographic factors, the most important of which being the size of the laboratory. Optimal number of staff in a department was found to be less than 30. Aggregation of climate scores from members of the same department showed that a positive laboratory climate was important for good performance in internal and external measures of technical quality. For the best service, laboratory climate must be supported by a staff perception that the department is committed to enhancing quality--a climate for laboratory quality.