“One Health – One Medicine”

Design Proposal for a Distance Education Course:Introduction to Zoonotic Diseases in Humans and Animals

Tracy L Middleton, DVM, BSMPH-VPH Candidate

Veterinary Public Health Resident

“One Health – One Medicine”

Project Objective

To create an introductory (online) course on zoonotic diseases, focused on teaching students foundational infectious disease

concepts and then using these to describe common and important zoonoses

“One Health – One Medicine”

Project Objective

• Undergraduate interest taking VPM 7721 Epidemiology of Zoonotic Diseases demonstrated a need for a introductory level course– This course is not a replacement for VPM 7721

• The underlying goals in the development of this distance education course are to:– Raise awareness of the global impact of zoonoses on the

health of both humans an animals– Encourage collaboration of medical, veterinary, and public

health professionals in research, prevention, and control of zoonoses

“One Health – One Medicine”

Definition of Zoonoses

• A zoonotic disease or zoonoses (pl.) is an infectious disease transmissible between vertebrate animals and humans under natural conditions– Etymology: Greek. “zoion” animal + “nosos” disease

• Animal reservoirs maintain the disease agent in nature

• Many zoonoses are multifactorial, with complex cycles of infection

• Humans are often dead end hosts BUT zoonoses have also originated great pandemics

“One Health – One Medicine”

Zoonotic Disease Burden

• Zoonoses exist in the environment anywhere humans and animals intersect

• Of the ~1400 infectious diseases recognized in humans, 60% are zoonoses

• In the last 40+ years, 75% of the recently emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases have been zoonoses

“One Health – One Medicine”

Zoonotic Disease Burden

“One Health – One Medicine”

Salmonella

Zoonotic Disease Burden

“One Health – One Medicine”

• Zoonotic diseases often seen as a veterinary issue– Public Health Veterinarians are in short supply in

the United States (GAO, 2009)• Physicians will not recognize or consider a disease

they do not know about• Public Health is a diverse field with a population

health focus with the least amount of infectious or zoonotic disease training

Zoonotic Disease Problem

“One Health – One Medicine”

Benefits of an Undergraduate Zoonoses Course

1. Physicians

Human Disease

General Infectious Disease

Individual Patient focused Medicine

2. Veterinarians

Animal Disease

Zoonoses Prevention and

Control

Population Medicine

3. Public Health

Epidemiology

Biostatistics

Environmental Health

Population Health Principles

Undergraduate Education

Incr

easi

ng

Sp

ecia

liza

tio

n

“One Health – One Medicine”

Course Development

“One Health – One Medicine”

• Target audience is 3rd/4th year undergraduates in Public Health – 5 year BS/MPH degree program course elective – Pre-Med, Pre-Vet, and other Pre-Professional students– Prerequisite courses in Biology and Microbiology

• Instructional delivery – – Traditional lecture-learn format – Asynchronous and Synchronous Components– Weekly virtual class discussion every Friday

Course Development

“One Health – One Medicine”

Course Development

1. Identify desired results.

• Educational needs

• Create Goals and Objectives

2. Determine acceptable evidence

• Plan student exercises

• Create exams and quizzes

3.Plan learning experiences

and instruction

• Create lesson plans

• Select course materials

Backward Design is a method of designing education curriculum by setting goals prior to choosing instructional methods and forms of assessment

“One Health – One Medicine”

1. Introductory

Disease Concepts

2. Vectorborne Zoonoses

3.

Livestock Zoonoses

4. Companion

Animal Zoonoses

5.

Wildlife Zoonoses

Lyme DiseaseRMSFPlagueWNV

BrucellosisZoonotic TBQ-FeverLeptospirosisAnthraxBSE

RabiesToxoplasmosisMycosisMRSASalmonellosis

Avian InfluenzaHantavirusSARS

Infectious Disease ConceptsZoonotic Disease ConceptsFactors of Disease EmergenceRegulatory Agencies

Course Development

“One Health – One Medicine”

Course Development

• Representative zoonotic diseases were chosen using three criteria:

1. Important human or animal morbidity/mortality

2. Economic impact upon society (i.e. agricultural, productivity, or tourism)

3. Bioterrorism potential• Course overlaid on a OSU Academic Calendar to determine

timing of modules and exam schedule• Objective attainment will be measured by in unit quizzes,

news article analysis, and 3 proctored exams

“One Health – One Medicine”

Academic Calendar

Each Wednesday, students will be required to submit discussion questions for the Friday virtual class session

“One Health – One Medicine”

Example Unit

“One Health – One Medicine”

Future Challenges

1. Development educational content suitable for eLearning environment– Accessibility is paramount!– Copyright law and educational content

2. ODEE approval process plus Quality Matters accreditation

3. Funding mechanism for teaching and further course development

“One Health – One Medicine”

Human Medicine

Public Health

Veterinary Medicine

Public Health Significance

• Approximately 75% of emerging/reemerging diseases are zoonotic

• Zoonoses are responsible for 2.1B human illnesses and 1.2M deaths annually

• Improvement needed in collaboration of Physicians, Veterinarians, and Public Health

“One Health – One Medicine”

Human Medicine

Veterinary Medicine

Public Health

Conclusion

“One Health – One Medicine”

Questions

“One Health – One Medicine”

Zoonoses Course Concept

1. Introductory

Disease Concepts

2. Vectorborne Zoonoses

3.

Livestock Zoonoses

4. Companion

Animal Zoonoses

5.

Wildlife Zoonoses

Lyme DiseaseRMSFPlagueWNV

BrucellosisZoonotic TBQ-FeverLeptospirosisAnthraxBSE

RabiesToxoplasmosisMycosisMRSASalmonellosis

Avian InfluenzaHantavirusSARS

Infectious Disease ConceptsZoonotic Disease ConceptsFactors of Disease EmergenceRegulatory Agencies