The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) recently held a One Health seminar titled: “Emerging and Reemerging Threats: Thinning Lines Between Human, Animal, and Environmental Health”.
Hosted by Professor Sabiha Essack, South African Research Chair in Antibiotic Resistance and One Health, the seminar focused on predicting, preventing, and controlling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and other emerging health threats, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries.
Dr Sunday Ochai and Professor Kristina Osbjer, newly affiliated with UKZN as Honorary Fellow and Honorary Associate Professor respectively, shared their expertise on the intersection of environmental changes and the health of humans, animals, and wildlife. Ochai presented his research on anthrax outbreaks in Kruger National Park, illustrating the interconnectedness of host species and their environments. Osbjer discussed the prevention and control of AMR and zoonotic diseases at the human-domestic animal-wildlife interface, emphasising the importance of the One Health approach in tackling emerging global health challenges.
Osbjer began her presentation by tracing the historical background of the One Health concept, emphasising how emerging zoonotic diseases at the human-domestic animal-wildlife interface have driven this global health agenda. She explained the interconnected threats posed by climate change, biodiversity loss, population displacement, increasing infectious diseases, and AMR, stressing the urgency of addressing these issues with an inclusive One Health approach.
Building on this framework, Ochai delivered a detailed presentation, examining the roles of host and environmental factors in the transmission of persistent pathogens, with a particular focus on anthrax, specifically the serological investigation of anthrax exposure and immune responses in wildlife populations. Ochai explored species and spatial patterns of anthrax mortality, exposure to Bacillus anthracis, and the ability of different species to neutralise the anthrax lethal toxin. His aim was to determine whether variations in-host mortality across locations could be explained by differences in pathogen exposure or immune responses at the population level. Ochai also focused on the role of environmental factors in shaping anthrax transmission dynamics. He discussed how changes in temperature, precipitation, and vegetation, measured through the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), can influence disease patterns. His findings highlighted the need to consider both ecological and immunological factors when investigating the spread of zoonotic diseases such as anthrax.
The seminar included a “Meet the Experts” session where Professor David Graham from Durham University in the United Kingdom and Professor Carlos Bezuidenhout from North-West University shared insights on the environmental dimensions of AMR, emphasising the need for its equitable inclusion in national and global AMR responses and action plans.
Dr Ochai, a Mandela Rhodes Scholar, holds a PhD and Master’s in Veterinary Tropical Diseases from the University of Pretoria, with expertise in One Health, public health, and epidemiology. He has advanced training from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium and has supported humanitarian efforts across Africa, including work with Christian Aid UK and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Currently a Science Advisor at the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS), Ochai contributes to projects in low- and middle-income countries.
Professor Osbjer, a Swedish veterinarian with a PhD in epidemiology and veterinary public health, has a distinguished career focused on AMR and zoonotic diseases. Her work spans clinical practice, food safety, and One Health collaboration, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. After joining the FAO in 2007, she played a key role in preventing avian influenza and emerging health threats. Currently a Senior Science Advisor at the ICARS, she supports scalable interventions to combat AMR and climate change.
Professor David Graham is Emeritus Professor of Engineering at Newcastle University, Research Professor at Durham University in the United Kingdom and Visiting Professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is a Chartered Professional Civil Engineer who has conducted environmental impact assessment, pollution prevention, and AMR projects for many years and is now focusing on using AI and Natural Language Processing to improve cross-sectoral communications in developing One Health-based solutions to global health problems.
Professor Carlos Bezuidenhout is a full professor of Microbiology at the North-West University and is the Research Director for the Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management. His AMR research focuses on the One Health implications of AMR, applications of clinical antimicrobial resistance gene detection technologies on environmental samples, microbiomes of river ecosystems in the anthropocene, and, pathogens in drinking and groundwater as well as wastewater effluent
The seminar highlighted the need for a multidisciplinary approach to health, recognising the complex interplay between environmental, animal, and human factors underscoring the urgency of adopting an inclusive One Health strategy to address interconnected threats effectively.
Words: Nombuso Dlamini
Photograph: Andile Ndlovu