Nomenclature updates resulting from the evolution of avian influenza A(H5) virus clades 2.1.3.2a, 2.2.1, and 2.3.4 during 2013-2014.

AIM: The A/goose/Guangdong/1/96-like hemagglutinin (HA) genes of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) viruses have continued to rapidly evolve since the most recent update to the H5 clade nomenclature by the WHO/OIE/FAO H5N1 Evolution Working Group. New clades diverging beyond established boundaries need to be identified and designated accordingly. METHOD: Hemagglutinin sequences deposited in publicly accessible databases up to December 31, 2014, were analyzed by phylogenetic and average pairwise distance methods to identify new clades that merit nomenclature changes. RESULTS: Three new clade designations were recommended based on division of clade 2·1·3·2a (Indonesia), 2·2·1 (Egypt), and 2·3·4 (widespread detection in Asia, Europe, and North America) that includes newly emergent HPAI virus subtypes H5N2, H5N3, H5N5, H5N6, and H5N8. CONCLUSION: Continued global surveillance for HPAI A(H5) viruses in all host species and timely reporting of sequence data will be critical to quickly identify new clades and assess their potential impact on human and animal health.The Melbourne WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza is supported by the Australian Government Department of Health.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/irv.1232

One Health and zoonoses activities at 17 select international locations : Nay 2013-April 2014

Compiled by the One Health Office, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Welcome to the third annual report of One Health and Zoonoses projects that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is conducting at 17 international sites, including 15 countries, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The purpose of this Report is to facilitate communication, collaboration, and coordination of animal-human interface activities in order to maximize the impact of CDC's global presence. The Report is prepared by the One Health Office (OHO), National Center for Emerging and Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), CDC.Foreword -- Table of international One Health and zoonoses activities -- Country and International Organization Profiles: Bangladesh; China; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Egypt; Guatemala; India; Indonesia; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Nigeria; Republic of Georgia; South Africa; Thailand; Uganda; Vietnam; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; World Organisation for Animal Health -- Acronyms -- Table definitions -- AHI officer contact information

A one health priority research agenda for antimicrobial resistance

The One Health Priority Research Agenda on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) sets out for the first time the priorities for which the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the World Organisation for Animal Health – as leaders in the multilateral system on human, animal, plant, and environmental health – will advocate to promote research and investment in the response to AMR. The Research Agenda results from extensive stakeholder and expert engagement and was developed using a sound scientific methodology. The process identified major gaps in knowledge and evidence that require urgent scientific attention and resources. The document demonstrates how, by working together, we can effectively leverage our organizations’ respective resources and strengths in the multilateral system

A governance framework for development and assessment of national action plans on antimicrobial resistance

Strengthening governance is an essential strategy to tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at all levels: global, national, regional, and local. To date, no systematic approach to governance of national action plans on AMR exists. To address this issue, we aimed to develop the first governance framework to offer guidance for both the development and assessment of national action plans on AMR. We reviewed health system governance framework reviews to inform the basic structure of our framework, international guidance documents from WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organisation for Animal Health, and the European Commission, and sought the input of 25 experts from international organisations, government ministries, policy institutes, and academic institutions to develop and refine our framework. The framework consists of 18 domains with 52 indicators that are contained within three governance areas: policy design, implementation tools, and monitoring and evaluation. To consider the dynamic nature of AMR, the framework is conceptualised as a cyclical process, which is responsive to the context and allows for continuous improvement and adaptation of national action plans on AMR

An Optimum Organisation

YesThe Ad Hoc Group (AHG) of the States Parties to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) have touched from time to time on the question of the organisation needed to implement the legally binding instrument being negotiated to strengthen the BTWC. Now that the work of the AHG has intensified with the fleshing out of a rolling text for the legally binding instrument, the nature of the organisation is receiving more and more attention as its size and cost are likely to influence the nature and effectiveness of the regime developed by the AHG. This Briefing Paper considers what can be learned from existing relevant organisations, notably the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its counterparts for animal and plant diseases (OIE and FAO), the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) on Iraq and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The developments thus far in the AHG deliberations are then addressed and some estimates are made for the optimum size and cost of a BTWC rganisation. It is emphasised that these estimates are necessarily broad as the actual size of the BTWC Organization will depend on the precise functions and responsibilities that it is given

Integrated control of neglected zoonotic diseases in Africa: Applying the “One Health” concept

Control of neglected zoonotic diseases (NZDs), by simultaneously saving lives and securing livelihoods, offers an important opportunity for alleviating poverty in remote rural areas and among marginalized periurban communities of poor livestock keepers in Africa and other less developed areas of the world. The meeting held at the headquarters of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Nairobi, Kenya during 13–15 November 2007 was supported jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Commission (EU), ILRI, the DBL-Centre for Health Research and Development (DBL), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the African Union (AU). It focused on the need to and opportunities for combating NZDs in Africa as the most affected continent where all of the NZDs occur; and where their burden on society hinders development and has a serious impact on health and agriculture. The objective of the meeting was to formulate a strategic framework for implementing the action points for combating NZDs that arose from an initial meeting held at WHO in 2005. These actions were to promote a “one health” integrated approach to control of NZDs, to develop plans for advocacy and information, to improve diagnosis and surveillance, to foster research, to build capacity and to strengthen prevention and control activities. A multidisciplinary group of researchers, programme managers and policy-makers from across the African continent was brought together with international experts and representatives of regional and international technical support agencies and organizations to address practical, institutional, political and resource-related issues associated with integrated surveillance, prevention and control of NZDs in Africa

WHO/FAO/OIE tripartite coordination for the control and prevention of zoonotic influenza viruses. Example of OFFLU, global network of veterinary expertise

During the last decade a heightened awareness has developed on the potential of influenza infections in animals to cause serious disease in people. This is the result of increased reporting of zoonotic influenza in humans as well as the intense circulation of influenza strains with pandemic potential within the animal reservoir. OFFLU (OIE/FAO Network of expertise on animal influenza) was created in 2004 as a response to the large spread of the zoonotic avian influenza of H5N1 subtype. OFFLU is a formal partnership between the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) and the Animal Production and Health Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to maintain an active network of expertise on animal influenza. One of its four objectives is specifically to collaborate with the WHO (World Health Organization) influenza network on issues relating to the animal-human interface, including early preparation of human vaccines. Stronger technical collaboration, both institutionally and nationally, among scientists in the animal health and public health sectors has been established through joint technical discussion, information sharing and development and use of common tools.Au cours des dix dernières années, on a de plus en plus pris conscience du potentiel qu’ont les infections animales par l’influenza à causer une maladie sérieuse chez l’homme. Ceci a été à la fois le résultat d’observations plus fréquentes d’infections par des influenza zoonotiques chez l’homme et de la circulation intense de souches influenza avec un potentiel pandémique dans le réservoir animal. OFFLU (Réseau OIE/FAO d’expertise sur l’influenza animal) a été comme une réponse à la dissémination majeure du sous-type H5N1 du virus influenza aviaire à caractère zoonotique. OFFLU est un partenariat formel entre l’OIE (Organisation Mondiale de la Santé Animale) et la division de santé et production animales de la FAO (Organisation de l’Alimentation et de l’Agriculture des Nations Unies) afin de maintenir un réseau actif d’expertise sur l’influenza animal. L’un des quatre objectifs d’OFFLU est spécifiquement de collaborer avec le réseau influenza de l’OMS (Organisation Mondiale de la Santé) sur les problèmes relatifs à l’interface animal-homme, y compris la préparation des vaccins humains. Une collaboration technique plus forte, à la fois institutionnelle et nationale, parmi les scientifiques des secteurs de la santé animale et de la santé publique a été établie au travers de discussions techniques conjointes, de partage de l’information et du développement et de l’utilisation d’outils communs

Feeding the Worlth Healthily: the Challenge of Measuring the effects of Agriculture on Health

Agricultural production, food systems and population health are intimately linked. While there is a strong evidence base to inform our knowledge of what constitutes a healthy human diet, we know little about actual food production or consumption in many populations and how developments in the food and agricultural system will affect dietary intake patterns and health. The paucity of information on food production and consumption is arguably most acute in low- and middle-income countries, where it is most urgently needed to monitor levels of under-nutrition, the health impacts of rapid dietary transition and the increasing ‘double burden’ of nutrition-related disease. Food availability statistics based on food commodity production data are currently widely used as a proxy measure of national-level food consumption, but using data from the UK and Mexico we highlight the potential pitfalls of this approach. Despite limited resources for data collection, better systems of measurement are possible. Important drivers to improve collection systems may include efforts to meet international development goals and partnership with the private sector. A clearer understanding of the links between the agriculture and food system and population health will ensure that health becomes a critical driver of agricultural change

Sustainability- considering the pillars of sustainability as a theoretical paradigm

The need for a common theoretical framework and underpinning with regards to the use of the term ‘sustainability’ in connection with food is important. Its current use covers a number of different meanings, ranging through economics and food supply systems to agri-food systems. This paper explores the issue of sustainability using a model developed for WHO. Using this as a tool, the impacts of food security and the global food system can be analysed and audited. Key to this are a critique of the global food system and its emphasis on free trade and consumers, the argument is put forward that global trade needs to be regulated to ensure human and environmental health. Conclusions are drawn for home economic teachers in terms of the role they play in food advocacy. This moves beyond teaching about the food system ‘as-it-is’, to education concerning the background to the food system and how we, as both consumers and citizens, can act and exercise power. The model can be used to both inform teaching practice about sustainability and to frame a response at a school/community level to wider influences in the food system. Education on its own is judged not to be sufficient

Mineral composition of commonly consumed ethnic foods in Europe

Background: Ethnic foods are an integral part of food consumption in Europe contributing towards the overall nutrient intake of the population. Food composition data on these foods are crucial for assessing nutrient intake, providing dietary advice and preventing diseases. Objective: To analyse selected minerals in authentic and modified ethnic foods commonly consumed in seven EU member states and Israel. Design: A list of ethnic foods commonly consumed in selected European countries was generated, primary samples collected and composite sample prepared for each food, which were analysed for dietary minerals at accredited laboratories. Methods for sampling, analysis, data scrutiny and documentation were based on harmonised procedures. Results: New data on 128 ethnic foods were generated for inclusion in the national databases of seven EU countries and Israel within the European Food Information Resource (EuroFIR), an EU Network of Excellence. The Na, K, Ca, P, Mg, Mn, Cl, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se and I contents of 39 foods is presented for the first time in this study. Conclusion: The data will serve as an important tool in future national and international food consumption surveys, to target provision of dietary advice, facilitate implementation of policies and inform policymakers, health workers, food industry and researchers