Effectiveness of One Health approach for control of Kyasanur Forest Disease in Wayanad, Kerala, India

Background & objectives: Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) is a vector borne haemorrhagic fever that is endemic in the Wayanad region located in Northern part of Kerala, India. The region is managing the outbreak well ever since the major epidemic of 2015. This was because of the successful implemen...

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Main Authors: Prejit, M Hitziger, K Asha
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2022-01-01
Series:Journal of Vector Borne Diseases
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.jvbd.org/article.asp?issn=0972-9062;year=2022;volume=59;issue=1;spage=70;epage=78;aulast=Hitziger
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author Prejit
M Hitziger
K Asha
author_facet Prejit
M Hitziger
K Asha
author_sort Prejit
collection DOAJ
description Background & objectives: Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) is a vector borne haemorrhagic fever that is endemic in the Wayanad region located in Northern part of Kerala, India. The region is managing the outbreak well ever since the major epidemic of 2015. This was because of the successful implementation of One Health (OH) initiative concentrating on multisectoral collaboration between regional institutions involved in public, animal and environmental health domains. The article presents how OH was implemented for the first time in the district in the year 2015 and evaluates the degree OH-ness of the Initiative. Methods: The OH approach involved trans-disciplinary stakeholder meetings and reviews, outbreak management and integrated surveillance targeting ticks, monkeys and humans. The degree of OH-ness used for addressing KFD during the year 2015 was evaluated following the protocol developed by the Network for Evaluation of One Health (NEOH). In detail, we (i) described the OH initiative and its system (Aim, stakeholders, action strategy) and (ii) scored different aspects of this initiative (i.e., OH-thinking, -planning, -working, -sharing, -learning, -organization), with values from 0 (=no OH approach) to 1 (=perfect OH approach). Results: We obtained a median score for each aspect evaluated. We reached high scores for OH systemic organization (1.0), OH thinking (0.83) and OH working (0.83). Lower scores were attributed to OH planning (0.58), OH sharing (0.50) and OH learning (0.33). The OH index was 0.36 and OH ratio was 0.95, indicating a balance between the OH operations and supporting infrastructures. Interpretation & conclusion: With this we could high-light some critical issues related to communication on sharing data as well as learning gaps for consideration to control future outbreaks. The strengths and weaknesses detected may be used to refine the initiative, aiming to provide a basis for the development of shared recommendations in a more OH-oriented perspective. This model of evaluation criteria will serve to create a database of OH success stories in India that will in turn help to institutionalize the approach at ministerial level. Future India is moving towards implementing a One Health, hence, this study data will provide an ideal opportunity for all sectors to control any vector borne diseases.
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spelling doaj.art-90eba020c3604656a36a198dc7dbf9022022-12-22T03:00:21ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Vector Borne Diseases0972-90622022-01-01591707810.4103/0972-9062.331407Effectiveness of One Health approach for control of Kyasanur Forest Disease in Wayanad, Kerala, IndiaPrejitM HitzigerK AshaBackground & objectives: Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) is a vector borne haemorrhagic fever that is endemic in the Wayanad region located in Northern part of Kerala, India. The region is managing the outbreak well ever since the major epidemic of 2015. This was because of the successful implementation of One Health (OH) initiative concentrating on multisectoral collaboration between regional institutions involved in public, animal and environmental health domains. The article presents how OH was implemented for the first time in the district in the year 2015 and evaluates the degree OH-ness of the Initiative. Methods: The OH approach involved trans-disciplinary stakeholder meetings and reviews, outbreak management and integrated surveillance targeting ticks, monkeys and humans. The degree of OH-ness used for addressing KFD during the year 2015 was evaluated following the protocol developed by the Network for Evaluation of One Health (NEOH). In detail, we (i) described the OH initiative and its system (Aim, stakeholders, action strategy) and (ii) scored different aspects of this initiative (i.e., OH-thinking, -planning, -working, -sharing, -learning, -organization), with values from 0 (=no OH approach) to 1 (=perfect OH approach). Results: We obtained a median score for each aspect evaluated. We reached high scores for OH systemic organization (1.0), OH thinking (0.83) and OH working (0.83). Lower scores were attributed to OH planning (0.58), OH sharing (0.50) and OH learning (0.33). The OH index was 0.36 and OH ratio was 0.95, indicating a balance between the OH operations and supporting infrastructures. Interpretation & conclusion: With this we could high-light some critical issues related to communication on sharing data as well as learning gaps for consideration to control future outbreaks. The strengths and weaknesses detected may be used to refine the initiative, aiming to provide a basis for the development of shared recommendations in a more OH-oriented perspective. This model of evaluation criteria will serve to create a database of OH success stories in India that will in turn help to institutionalize the approach at ministerial level. Future India is moving towards implementing a One Health, hence, this study data will provide an ideal opportunity for all sectors to control any vector borne diseases.http://www.jvbd.org/article.asp?issn=0972-9062;year=2022;volume=59;issue=1;spage=70;epage=78;aulast=Hitzigerevaluation; integrated surveillance; kfd virus; one health; wayanad; zoonoses
spellingShingle Prejit
M Hitziger
K Asha
Effectiveness of One Health approach for control of Kyasanur Forest Disease in Wayanad, Kerala, India
Journal of Vector Borne Diseases
evaluation; integrated surveillance; kfd virus; one health; wayanad; zoonoses
title Effectiveness of One Health approach for control of Kyasanur Forest Disease in Wayanad, Kerala, India
title_full Effectiveness of One Health approach for control of Kyasanur Forest Disease in Wayanad, Kerala, India
title_fullStr Effectiveness of One Health approach for control of Kyasanur Forest Disease in Wayanad, Kerala, India
title_full_unstemmed Effectiveness of One Health approach for control of Kyasanur Forest Disease in Wayanad, Kerala, India
title_short Effectiveness of One Health approach for control of Kyasanur Forest Disease in Wayanad, Kerala, India
title_sort effectiveness of one health approach for control of kyasanur forest disease in wayanad kerala india
topic evaluation; integrated surveillance; kfd virus; one health; wayanad; zoonoses
url http://www.jvbd.org/article.asp?issn=0972-9062;year=2022;volume=59;issue=1;spage=70;epage=78;aulast=Hitziger
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