One Health
Our approach to studying environmental issues in river basins is based on an integrative zoological prespective utilizing the One Health Concept. The One Health Concept is a relatively new interdisciplinary movement that fosters collaborations between human, wildlife and environmental health practitioners. This collaboration allows for a more effective response to disease outbreaks in human and wildlife and maximize the return on investment in river conservation for society. The idea that environmental factors can affect human health is not new. The Hippocratic treatrise On Air, Water and Places highlighted the importance of a clean environment for public health.
To effectively communicate our research to the public, we employ medical metaphors, as they are familiar with the language and principles of medical assessments such as diagnosis, treatment and prevention. This approach helps us to remain focused on finding solutions to environmental issues rather than 'solely' generating biological knowledge. Our notion of health extends beyond the level of individuals (physiology, veterinary) to that of communities and ecosystems (ecology). However, we recognize the limitations of using a health metaphor in ecology, as there are individual properties that do not apply to ecosystems, such as reproduction or mortality.
Effective ecosystem management requires a robust methodology to analyse, remedy and avoid ecosystem damage and the framework adopted by medical practice offers considerable potential for improving ecosystem management and clarifying messages to managers and society (Elosegi et al. 2017).
OUR THREE MAIN RESEARCH TOPICS WITHIN THE ONE HEALTH CONCEPT
WHY RIVERS ARE IMPORTANT IN ONE HEALTH RESEARCH?
The Cholera outbreak in Central London (UK) serves as a stark example of the detrimental consequences of rivers with poor environmental quality on both people and wildlife. During the Victorian era, the Thames River became a dumping ground for various forms of waste, including household and industrial waste. In the summer of 1857, the foul smell emanating from the Thames River became increasingly unbearable for citizens. The water quality had deteriorated to such an extent that oxygen levels were critically low, rendering it uninhabitable for living creatures. Ironically, the Thames River was the primary source of drinking water for London's residents, leading to a cholera outbreak in 1832 that persisted for an alarming 22 years. In 1957, the Natural History Museum declared the Thames Rivers biologically dead.
Cholera is a waterborne disease, but it is important to note that animals, such as fishes, can also serve as sources of human pathogens. Examples of zoonotic bacteria include species from various genera, such as Mycobacterium, Streptococcus, Erysipelothrix, Vibrio, Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Campylobacter, Clostridium and Listeria.
Finally, when the ecological equilibrium of rivers is disrupted, rivers can become breeding grounds for insects with significant medical importance, such as mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have the potential to transmit diseases like filariasis, malaria, dengue, and West Nile Virus.