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Emerging zoonoses with pandemic potential are a stated priority for the global health security agenda, but endemic zoonoses also have a major societal impact in low-resource settings. Although many endemic zoonoses can be treated, timely diagnosis and appropriate clinical management of human cases is often challenging. Preventive ‘One Health’ interventions, e.g. interventions in animal populations that generate human health benefits, may provide a useful approach to overcoming some of these challenges. Effective strategies, such as animal vaccination, already exist for the prevention, control and elimination of many endemic zoonoses, including rabies, and several livestock zoonoses (e.g. brucellosis, leptospirosis, Q fever) that are important causes of human febrile illness and livestock productivity losses in low- and middle-income countries. We make the case that, for these diseases, One Health interventions have the potential to be more effective and generate more equitable benefits for human health and livelihoods, particularly in rural areas, than approaches that rely exclusively on treatment of human cases. We hypothesize that applying One Health interventions to tackle these health challenges will help to build trust, community engagement and cross-sectoral collaboration, which will in turn strengthen the capacity of fragile health systems to respond to the threat of emerging zoonoses and other future health challenges. One Health interventions thus have the potential to align the ongoing needs of disadvantaged communities with the concerns of the broader global community, providing a pragmatic and equitable approach to meeting the global goals for sustainable development and supporting the global health security agenda. This article is part of the themed issue ‘One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being’.

Urbanization, large dog populations and failed control efforts have contributed to continuing endemicity of dog-mediated rabies in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. From 2007 to 2014 we used a OneHealth approach to rabies prevention, involving both the human and animal health sectors. We implemented mass vaccination campaigns for dogs to control canine rabies, and strategies to improve rabies awareness and access to postexposure prophylaxis for people exposed to rabies. A rabies-endemic region, KwaZulu-Natal is one of the smallest and most populous South African provinces (estimated population 10 900 000). Canine rabies has persisted since its introduction in 1976, causing an average of 9.2 human rabies cases per annum in KwaZulu-Natal from 1976 to 2007, when the project started. Between 2007 and 2014, the numbers of dog vaccinations rose from 358 611 to 395 000 and human vaccines purchased increased form 100 046 to 156 996. Strategic dog vaccination successfully reduced rabies transmission within dog populations, reducing canine rabies cases from 473 in 2007 to 37 in 2014. Actions taken to reduce the incidence of canine rabies, increase public awareness of rabies and improve delivery of postexposure prophylaxis contributed to reaching zero human rabies cases in KwaZulu-Natal in 2014. Starting small and scaling up enabled us to build strategies that fitted various local settings and to successfully apply a OneHealth approach. Important to the success of the project were employing competent, motivated staff, and providing resources, training and support for field workers.

Approach From 2007 to 2014 we used a OneHealth approach to rabies prevention, involving both the human and animal health sectors. We implemented mass vaccination campaigns for dogs to control canine rabies, and strategies to improve rabies awareness and access to postexposure prophylaxis for people exposed to rabies. Approche De 2007 a 2014, nous avons applique l'approche <> pour la prevention de la rage, et mobilise les secteurs de la sante humalne et de la sante animale. Nous avons mene des campagnes de vaccination massive des chiens en vue de lutter contre la rage canine, et deploye des strategies pour mleux sensibiliser la population a la rage et ameliorer l'acces des personnes exposees a la rage a la prophylaxle post-exposition. Enfoque De 2007 a 2014, se utilizo un enfoque <> para la prevencion de la rabia, que involucraba a los sectores de salud humana y animal. Se implementaron campanas de-vacunacion masiva para perros para controlar la rabia canina, asi como estrategias para mejorar la concienciacion sobre la rabia y el acceso a la profilaxis posterior a la exposicion para las personas expuestas a la rabia.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic parasitic disease endemic in southern and eastern European countries. The true prevalence of CE is difficult to estimate due to the high proportion of asymptomatic carriers who never seek medical attention and to the underreporting of diagnosed cases, factors which contribute to its neglected status. In an attempt to improve this situation, the European Register of Cystic Echinococcosis (ERCE), was launched in October 2014 in the context of the HERACLES project. ERCE is a prospective, observational, multicentre register of patients with probable or confirmed CE. The first ERCE meeting was held in November 2015 at the Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanita, ISS) in Rome, to bring together CE experts currently involved in the Register activities, to share and discuss experiences, and future developments. Although the Register is still in its infancy, data collected at the time of writing this report, had outnumbered the total of national cases reported by the European endemic countries and published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in 2015. This confirms the need for an improved reporting system of CE at the European level. The collection of standardized clinical data and samples is expected to support a more rational, stage-specific approach to clinical management, and to help public authorities harmonize reporting of CE. A better understanding of CE burden in Europe will encourage the planning and implementation of public health policies toward its control.

Emerging zoonoses with pandemic potential are a stated priority for the global health security agenda, but endemic zoonoses also have a major societal impact in low-resource settings. Although many endemic zoonoses can be treated, timely diagnosis and appropriate clinical management of human cases is often challenging. Preventive 'One Health' interventions, e.g. interventions in animal populations that generate human health benefits, may provide a useful approach to overcoming some of these challenges. Effective strategies, such as animal vaccination, already exist for the prevention, control and elimination of many endemic zoonoses, including rabies, and several livestock zoonoses (e.g. brucellosis, leptospirosis, Q fever) that are important causes of human febrile illness and livestock productivity losses in low- and middle-income countries. We make the case that, for these diseases, One Health interventions have the potential to be more effective and generate more equitable benefits for human health and livelihoods, particularly in rural areas, than approaches that rely exclusively on treatment of human cases. We hypothesize that applying One Health interventions to tackle these health challenges will help to build trust, community engagement and cross-sectoral collaboration, which will in turn strengthen the capacity of fragile health systems to respond to the threat of emerging zoonoses and other future health challenges. One Health interventions thus have the potential to align the ongoing needs of disadvantaged communities with the concerns of the broader global community, providing a pragmatic and equitable approach to meeting the global goals for sustainable development and supporting the global health security agenda. This article is part of the themed issue 'One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being'.

Domestic dogs are responsible for nearly all the »59,000 global human rabies deaths that occur annually. Numerous control measures have been successful at eliminating dog-mediated human rabies deaths in upper-income countries, including dog population management, parenteral dog vaccination programs, access to human rabies vaccines, and education programs for bite prevention and wound treatment. Implementing these techniques in resource-poor settings can be challenging; perhaps the greatest challenge is maintaining adequate herd immunity in free-roaming dog populations. Oral rabies vaccines have been a cornerstone in rabies virus elimination from wildlife populations; however, oral vaccines have never been effectively used to control dog-mediated rabies. Here, we convey the perspectives of the World Organisation for Animal Health Rabies Reference Laboratory Directors, the World Organisation for Animal Health expert committee on dog rabies control, and World Health Organization regarding the role of oral vaccines for dogs. We also issue recommendations for overcoming hesitations to expedited field use of appropriate oral vaccines.