A framework for One Health research

Lebov, J.; Grieger, K.; Womack, D.; Zaccaro, D.; Whitehead, N.; Kowalcyk, B.; MacDonald, P.D.M.

The case study we present in this paper highlights the value of applying an OH paradigm to address complex research questions related to agricultural practices. Scientific expertise across multiple disciplines informed the development of diagrams describing the pathways through which the agricultural use of biosolids could impact the health of the environment, animals, and humans. Using these diagrams, the research team generated hypotheses about the possible contamination pathways and associations between biosolid use and human and environmental risk which were tested using simulation models, a methodology that transcends disciplines. In our example, model parameters were obtained from a variety of sources across all three domains of animal, human, and environmental health. Because the study evaluated human impact from exposure via contamination of environmental media, produce, and animal components, the research team was able to interpret results from multi-pathway models to assess total potential hazard to humans. By incorporating information from the animal, human, and environmental domains into the study design, this research generated far more information about exposure routes and hazard levels than would have been observed using a siloed or even two-domain (e.g. human-environment) approach.