Pursuing a Balance for People, Animals, and the Environment
(Translated from Global Views Magazine)
Since the outbreak of COVID, the whole world has been facing the threat of a rapidly spreading infectious disease with a high rate of mortality—a virus that nearly brought a halt to international travel and interpersonal contact. Yet as the world encountered lockdown, the environment and ecosystem quietly recovered. In Taiwan, after Xiaoliuqiu closed the island as part of the Level 3 measures, more than 800 sea turtles were photographed in a single. Meanwhile, in Hengchun residents were witnessing animals in the mountains and forests run freely. And so, the epidemic reminded us of the power of nature to make a counterattack. It reminded us that it’s time to think again about how we can co-prosper with the environment.
Calvin Schwabe, regarded as the father of veterinary epidemiology, once pointed out that human medicine and veterinarians mutually share a number of common academic theories. For this reason, doctors and veterinarians should join together to take action to prevent the occurrence of common infectious diseases between humans and animals. This idea is the basis for “One Health”.
“‘Human health, animal health, and environmental health’—pursuing this trilateral balance, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) is making continuous efforts in the fields of agricultural production, ecological surveys, public health, and social welfare.” NPUST President Chang-Hsien Tai points out that the university has been committed to agricultural development for many years; and they are looking carefully at the conflicts that exist between the industry and the ecological environment. For example, Taiwan’s livestock breeding is overly dense and the biological controls at factories are not rigorous enough. Misuse of drugs and improper disease management can take place, and these things can result in the spread of emerging infectious diseases.
Chang-Hsien Tai added that “We consider things from the perspective of University Social Responsibility—and NPUST is able to make contributions to public health issues. For example, the Institute of Wildlife Conservation regularly conducts surveys in the mountains and forests, and when unusual animal behavior is noticed or the source of the disease is discovered, we can immediately issue a warning, and the Department of Veterinary Medicine can respond by conducting inspections and providing treatment. This could even involve releases back into the wild or vaccine research and development. We continue to provide advice in rural areas, bringing in academic professionals, providing a diverse and friendly environmental production models, and helping those in agriculture, forestry, fishery and animal husbandry industries to accepts new concepts and make gradual transformations. This is our mission at NPUST.”
Daily investigations are the first line of defense. No contact is the safest distance
According to the observations of Associate Professor Chen-Chih Chen from the NPUST Institute of Wildlife Conservation, most of the zoonotic diseases which have occurred in recent years came from wild animals. That is why the first line of defense is established by entering the mountains and forests to routinely monitor and investigate the occurrence of diseases. When surveyors find that a species that has died of unknown causes, it may serve as a warning sign that a certain disease is spreading. Conducting basic investigations daily can help us understand the environment, population densities, and transmission trends in the area, so that we can determine the next stage of controls, find the hot zone where the disease is spreading, and then work to prevent further spread.
Wild animals can carry many viruses. If the habitat is large and the species density is low, the virus will evolve into a state of low virulence. When the host dies, the pathogen will disappear. However, when habitats are destroyed (often times so that the land can be used for farming, animal husbandry or breeding), it results in higher animal densities. Wild animals living at the lower parts of the mountains will have the opportunity to come into contact with the economically raised animals, and in this way, the diseases can spread.
Many migratory birds pass through Taiwan every year, and wild birds carry a high variety of low pathogenic avian influenza viruses. Because viruses change rapidly, if one were to spread to the high-density populations of birds within the poultry industry, it could become a highly pathogenic avian influenza. From there it could continue to evolve and become a human influenza. Exposure brings the risk of infection and high density populations increase the rate of infection; so under such conditions, it would not be not surprising if an emerging infectious disease broke out.
In a complete and healthy ecosystem, there are going to be many different species—this is called ‘biodiversity’. When the biodiversity is stable, the environment is healthier, and the resources available to people are more abundant. A few years ago, scientists proposed that “biodiversity can prevent the outbreak of emerging infectious diseases common to humans and animals.” When species are diverse and balanced, even if a particular species has a pathogen that can cause a disease common to humans and animals, the buffer created by natural enemies limits population density and makes it harder for the virus to find a host. Ultimately, it will die and the chain of transmission will be blocked.
Associate Professor Chen-Chih Chen further reminds us that “we should respect the fact that anything could happen in the ecological environment—and pathogens are also part of the ecological environment. The conservation of pathogens is as important as the conservation of wild animals. They not only maintain the stability of animal populations, but also help maintain biodiversity. “
Make visits and share information; bolster knowledge of disease management in the field.
Different in respect to the monitoring of wild animals conducted by the Institute of Wildlife Conservation, at the NPUST Department of Veterinary Medicine focus is given to the management of diseases in economic animals. The department’s team of experts studies various animals and diseases and maintains close relationships with farmers through regular patrols and visitations.
The director of the Department of Veterinary Medicine, Ming-Tang Chiou, explained how the monitoring work has already taken shape. Take, for example, the bird flu work that has been implemented over the years. The National Animal Industry Foundation (NAIF) has set up a “Southern District Poultry Health Center” at NPUST. Taking advantage of our team of professionals, including professors Yi-Yang Lien, Ming-Chu Cheng and Yi-Lun Tsai, personnel from the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine go to the poultry farms to conduct random inspection and send the specimens back for examination. If any abnormalities are detected, protections are put in place as quickly as possible. Other diseases such as rabies, Japanese encephalitis, and salmonella are common infectious diseases that spread from animals to humans, and they are all closely monitored for. Whether it is for veterinarians or breeders, the source of the infections must be known so that the spread of the disease can be contained and the follow-up prevention and treatment performed.
The relatively asymptomatic Q fever has a higher infection rate in sheep than in cattle. Humans may become infected as well if their immunity is low, so those who are involved in animal husbandry or living nearby are high-risk groups. According to Assistant Professor Hsu-Hsun Lee, during regular visits and counseling, sheep farmers are provided with information on Q fever prevention and treatment, and reminded to wear masks and gloves and take other protective measures. The school also assists the Bureau of Inspection and Quarantine with research, and by conducting regular sampling and testing in order to reduce the potential for severe outbreaks. When illness do occur, the vets must report the animal’s contact history so that doctors can properly diagnose the problem, conduct inspections, and be on guard to prevent the outbreak of an epidemic.
When humans and wild animals are in close proximity, outbreaks often occur.
In Taiwan, the zoonotic disease that most people are familiar with is rabies. Professor Chao-Nan Lin of the Department of Veterinary Medicine has been cooperating with other schools and quarantine agencies for many years on the implementation of rabies monitoring. In July 2013, National Taiwan University detected rabies in a Chinese ferret-badger, confirming that rabies still existed in Taiwan. Through genetic sequencing, it was determined that the rabies in Taiwan was divided into three groups: central, southern, and eastern. Professor Lin said that the ferret-badger and the masked palm civet are the most common wild animals to be carrying the disease. So, if you are out in a rural area and you see one of the cute little animals, don’t touch it. For those who are bitten and who get infected with rabies, the fatality rate is very high.
The NPUST Animal Disease Diagnostic Center was the first to discover an instance of rabies in the masked palm civet in Taiwan. And in 2021, a rabies infection in a yellow-throated marten was reported in the country. According to statistics from the Bureau of Inspection and Quarantine, from 2013 to the end of May 2021, a total of 11,407 cases have been detected in wild dogs, cats and bats spread throughout 9 counties and 88 townships in Taiwan, showing that when the habitats of people and wild animals overlap, the danger increases. When adding in stray dogs and cats into the mix, if proper precautions are not taken, the health of humans and animals will see an impact.
When production management and disease control run in tandem, it helps reduce drug resistance
Assistant Professor Chuen-Fu Lin, who conducts research on leptospira, explained that wild mice are the natural protectors of this bacteria, which can be transmitted through the host’s urine. Once an infection occurs, it is difficult to eradicate since it can hide in certain parts of the body and even escape the immune system. Regularly occurring infectious diseases which are common to humans and animals, such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, are very traditional. Yet still, when they acquire resistance in animals and then infect humans, it is very difficult to treat them with human medicine.
Director Ming-Tang Chiou of the Department of Veterinary Medicine points out that “the combining animal production medicine to block bacterial drug resistance and reduce animal drug use is an important topic. Doing a good job at the front end with animal husbandry, animal production medicine and disease prevention can effectively reduce the occurrence of zoonotic diseases.” Assistant Professor Hsu-Hsun Lee also believes that animal medicine depends on production medicine. It is hoped that through breeding management, such as access control and disinfection operations, the possibility of infection will be blocked at the outset and the risk of disease will be reduced.
When major infectious diseases break out, professional assistance in monitoring, research, and investigation is urgently needed. NPUST will always be together with veterinary industry at the frontlines. By maintaining close daily cooperation with farms, conducting field investigations, and treating animals, the university is ready to report abnormalities immediately when they are found. By practicing vigilance, the emergence of infectious diseases can be reduced.
“We cannot predict when diseases and disasters will come. Only by laying a foundation on solid research will we be able to stand firm in the post-epidemic era.” NPUST’s President Tai encourages the students, adding that “NPUST is working hard on public health issues and keeping in step with world medical systems—from frontline wildlife investigations and the discovery of disease sources to economic animal health safety protocols; ultimately, we are protecting the health of the people—One Health is always our goal”
