One Border One Health: Addressing Disease Emergence Through Binational One Health Strategies

One Border One Health:
Sponsors:
Addressing Disease Emergence
Through Binational One Health Strategies
Join the Effort!
K. Ferran1, S. Marikos1, E. Iniguez-Stevens1, N. Gurfield2, D. Cruz3, F. Monge Navarro4,
R. Villa-Angulo5, N. Castillo Martinez6
Call: (619) 688-3187
1 Early
Warning Infectious Disease Surveillance Program, California Office of Binational Border Health,
2San Diego County Department of Environmental Health, 3Naval Medical Center San Diego, 4Universidad
Autónoma de Baja California, Veterinary School, 5Universidad Autónoma de Baja California,
Bioinformatics, 6Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Center for Health Sciences
Email: oneborderonehealth@cdph.ca.gov
Visit: www.oneborderonehealth.com
Background
The California – Baja California border region encompasses a wide range of
ecosystems, topography, dense urban areas, and agricultural developments
that coexist in a limited geographic area and create numerous human-animalenvironmental interfaces. The region is recognized for its high biodiversity, the
presence of over 85 listed endangered plant and animal species, its
importance on the Pacific migratory pathway, high levels of population mobility,
and is home to the busiest international border in the world.
These interfaces pose a significant risk to animal, human, and environmental
health, as evidenced by frequent wildlife die offs, antibiotic resistant bacteria in
streams, beach closures due to fecal contamination, pesticide toxicities,
zoonotic infectious disease outbreaks, and vector borne diseases.
Recognizing the health risks posed by these complex interfaces, the Early
Warning Infectious Disease Surveillance Program (EWIDS) convened the One
Border One Health (OBOH) Symposium in June 2011, bringing together U.S.
and Mexican experts to establish a sustainable early warning system for
emerging pathogens via a regional integrated human-animal-environmental
surveillance system.
Our Mission
One Border One Health is a binational multidisciplinary cooperative building more
resilient and healthy border communities by identifying, responding, and creating
sustainable solutions to health risks at the human-animal-environmental interface.
Other
15%
Who We Are
OBOH is a network of over 100 professionals and students
from 50 organizations representing animal, human and
environmental health from government, academia, non-profit,
private and military sectors.
The overarching goals of the 3 established workgroups are:
Student
11%
Epidemiologist
15%
Clinician
7%
Scientist
11%
Veterinarian
30%
Naturalist
4%
EH Specialist
7%
Figure 2. Partner Profile
1. Surveillance: Enhance surveillance for emerging &
re-emerging pathogens using the One Health concept.
2. Training & Outreach: Raise community awareness and integrate the One Health
approach in education and training.
3. Informatics: Improve information exchange and develop mechanisms and models
for data collection and exchange among One Health stakeholders.
Highlighted Projects
Surveillance Workgroup
1) Customization of a web-based platform to enhance public and professional reporting of
wildlife health events and environmental conditions;
2) Prioritize pathogens to identify zoonotic infectious diseases for use in a One Health crossborder integrated surveillance system; and
3) A “proof of concept” project to validate a One Health approach to external stakeholders.
Informatics Workgroup
1) Create moderated forums for reporting emerging disease risks;
2) Develop a multi-sectoral-relational database and mathematical model that can simulate
pathogen spread in the border region and assist in the design of binational strategies for
controlling the spread of infection.
Training & Outreach Workgroup
1) Increase visibility for the OBOH initiative via social media, scientific publications, and
conferences;
2) Foster regional academic interest in One Health curriculum development and stimulate
student participation in One Health meetings and activities; and
3) Engage community educators, local businesses, policy makers, and volunteer groups in
OBOH outreach efforts.
Figure 1. California – Baja California Border Region
Outcomes
Planning Committee
1)Delivered multiple One Border One Health presentations at
local and national venues.
2)Hosted 4 formal One Border One Health events (as of July 2012),
and numerous informal meetings with OBOH network partners.
3)Highlighted One Health best practices.
Surveillance Workgroup
1)Identified experts and appropriate tool for prioritization project.
2)“Proof of concept” proposal drafted and in review.
Informatics Workgroup
1)Instituted a web-based platform to facilitate communication,
organization and data exchange among OBOH partners.
Training & Outreach Workgroup
1)Translated the One Health Initiative’s “Practicing One Health for
the Human Health Clinician” into Spanish for distribution to partners.
2)Submitted grant proposal for training and outreach funding.
Challenges
• Identifying funding sources for
cross-sectoral/multi-disciplinary projects.
• Promoting data exchange.
• Identifying and involving partners from different sectors.
Planning Committee
Surveillance Co-chairs
Francisco Javier Monge Navarro, DVM, MPH, PhD
Researcher
Diagnostics Department, Veterinary School
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California
Karen Ferran, PhD, MSPH
Program Manager/Chief Epidemiologist, EWIDS
Sarah Marikos, MPH
Epidemiologist Analyst, EWIDS
Karen Ferran, PhD, MSPH
Program Manager/Chief Epidemiologist
EWIDS
Esmeralda Iniguez-Stevens, PhD, MPH
Regional Epidemiologist, EWIDS
Kirsten Barstad-Mulvey, BA
Associate Director, Institute for Public Health
Informatics Co-chairs
Training & Outreach Co-chairs
Nikos Gurfield, DVM, DACVP
San Diego County Veterinarian
Dept. of Environmental Health
Vector Disease and Diagnostic Laboratory
LTJG David Cruz
Environmental Health Division Officer
Preventive Medicine
Naval Medical Center San Diego
Rafael Villa-Angulo, PhD
Bioinformatics Coordinator
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (Mexicali)
MSP Nydia Alejandra Castillo Martinez
Center for Health Sciences
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California
A California – Baja California Regional Network