Publications by authors named "Casey Barton Behravesh"

Monitoring the zoonotic potential of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants in animals is a critical tool to protect public health. We conducted a longitudinal study in 47 households reporting people with COVID-19 in Texas from January to July 2022, during the first Omicron wave. We evaluated 105 people and 100 of their companion animals for SARS-CoV-2 infection at three sequential sampling events, starting 0-5 days after the first reported diagnosis of COVID-19 in the house.

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Changes in the epidemiology and ecology of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza are devastating wild bird and poultry populations, farms and communities, and wild mammals worldwide. Having originated in farmed poultry, H5N1 viruses are now spread globally by wild birds, with transmission to many mammal and avian species, resulting in 2024 in transmission among dairy cattle with associated human cases. These ecological changes pose challenges to mitigating the impacts of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza on wildlife, ecosystems, domestic animals, food security, and humans.

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  • * An investigation revealed a cluster of COVID-19 symptoms among farm employees coinciding with increased illness and death rates in mink, with nearly all sampled mink testing positive for the virus.
  • * Genetic similarities between the virus in mink and infected workers suggest that humans contracted COVID-19 from the mink, prompting the need for comprehensive public health strategies to control zoonotic virus transmission.
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The health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the environment are inter-dependent. Global anthropogenic change is a key driver of disease emergence and spread and leads to biodiversity loss and ecosystem function degradation, which are themselves drivers of disease emergence. Pathogen spill-over events and subsequent disease outbreaks, including pandemics, in humans, animals and plants may arise when factors driving disease emergence and spread converge.

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Background: In recognition of the interconnected nature of complex challenges such as COVID-19, a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach, referred to as One Health, has been employed to address sustainable development and strengthen global health security. Although significant investments have been made to build global health capacity, characterization of the One Health is absent from the literature.

Methods And Findings: We collected and analyzed perspectives from students, graduates, workers, and employers in One Health through a multinational online survey across health disciplines and sectors.

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  • * An investigation identified a potential source of infection among six employees, with three developing symptoms and two found to have the same viral strain as the lion, indicating probable lion-to-human transmission.
  • * The findings highlight the need for enhanced biosecurity measures at zoos and the development of rapid testing methods for animals to better manage the risks of zoonotic disease transmission.
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From July−November 2020, mink (Neogale vison) on 12 Utah farms experienced an increase in mortality rates due to confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. We conducted epidemiologic investigations on six farms to identify the source of virus introduction, track cross-species transmission, and assess viral evolution. Interviews were conducted and specimens were collected from persons living or working on participating farms and from multiple animal species.

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  • The study aimed to understand how SARS-CoV-2 affects companion animals in the US, focusing on clinical and epidemiologic aspects from March 2020 to December 2021.
  • Involved 204 pets (109 cats and 95 dogs) across 33 states with confirmed COVID-19 infections, primarily after being exposed to infected humans.
  • Findings showed that most infections were linked to human exposure, with significant illness duration (15 days for cats, 12 for dogs) and a 10-day gap between human and pet illness onset, highlighting the importance of tracking both species in disease transmission studies.
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Zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from infected humans to other animals has been documented around the world, most notably in mink farming operations in Europe and the United States. Outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 on Utah mink farms began in late July 2020 and resulted in high mink mortality. An investigation of these outbreaks revealed active and past SARS-CoV-2 infections in free-roaming and in feral cats living on or near several mink farms.

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Zoonotic diseases represent a heavy global burden, causing important economic losses, impacting animal health and production, and costing millions of human lives. The vaccination of animals and humans to prevent inter-species zoonotic disease transmission is an important intervention. However, efforts to develop and implement vaccine interventions to reduce zoonotic disease impacts are often limited to the veterinary and agricultural sectors and do not reflect the shared burden of disease.

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  • A One Health approach is crucial for preventing and controlling zoonotic diseases, involving collaboration among fields like human health, animal health, and environmental sciences.
  • The Generalizable One Health Framework (GOHF) offers a structured five-step process to guide the implementation of One Health strategies for zoonotic disease management at multiple levels.
  • The framework includes a toolkit that organizes existing resources and provides recommendations for areas such as laboratory work, surveillance, and preparedness, enhancing capacity to address zoonotic threats impacting humans, animals, and the environment.
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  • - SARS-CoV-2 has been found in various species, including pets like dogs and cats, with dog illnesses typically resolving on their own without extensive diagnosis.
  • - As new variants of SARS-CoV-2 arise, the symptoms and transmission dynamics in animals can change, prompting a need for ongoing monitoring.
  • - The report focuses on two dogs infected with the Delta variant, showing different symptoms despite similar exposure to a vaccinated human, underlining the necessity for more research on the impact of these variants on pets and other animals.
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  • - The study analyzed 72 mink affected by SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks on US farms, discovering respiratory damage similar to that seen in humans with COVID-19, including bronchiolitis in 74% of mink found dead.
  • - Testing methods showed that conventional reverse transcription-PCR (cRT-PCR) was more effective at detecting SARS-CoV-2 in upper respiratory tract tissues than in lung specimens, indicating the virus primarily affects the nasal area.
  • - The presence of the viral receptor ACE2 was noted in the nasal epithelium, suggesting that mink could serve as a useful model for studying SARS-CoV-2 infection and its effects in humans.
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Background: Zoonotic diseases pose a significant threat to human, animal, and environmental health. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has endured a significant burden of zoonotic disease impacts. To address zoonotic disease threats in ECOWAS, a One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization (OHZDP) was conducted over five days in December 2018 to prioritize zoonotic diseases of greatest regional concern and develop next steps for addressing these priority zoonoses through a regional, multisectoral, One Health approach.

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Background: China is vulnerable to zoonotic disease transmission due to a large agricultural work force, sizable domestic livestock population, and a highly biodiverse ecology. To better address this threat, representatives from the human, animal, and environmental health sectors in China held a One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization (OHZDP) workshop in May 2019 to develop a list of priority zoonotic diseases for multisectoral, One Health collaboration.

Methods: Representatives used the OHZDP Process, developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), to prioritize zoonotic diseases for China.

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Article Synopsis
  • In summer 2020, SARS-CoV-2 was discovered on mink farms in Utah, prompting a One Health initiative to determine the outbreak's scope by sampling various animals around the farms.
  • Of 365 animals tested, 72% were found to have at least one type of coronavirus, with specific findings including 127 alphacoronaviruses and 74 cases of SARS-CoV-2 in mink.
  • The study indicates a concerningly high prevalence of coronaviruses among animals on mink farms, suggesting these locations could be significant sources for future cross-species viral transmission and new pandemic risks.
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Objective: To establish a pathoepidemiological model to evaluate the role of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first 10 companion animals that died while infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the US.

Animals: 10 cats and dogs that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and died or were euthanized in the US between March 2020 and January 2021.

Procedures: A standardized algorithm was developed to direct case investigations, determine the necessity of certain diagnostic procedures, and evaluate the role, if any, that SARS-CoV-2 infection played in the animals' course of disease and death.

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  • Human-to-animal and animal-to-animal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been observed, but there is limited research on transmission in shelters.
  • A study was conducted at four animal shelters in the U.S. where animals were exposed to COVID-19 positive staff members.
  • Out of 96 tested cats and dogs, only one dog showed antibodies for SARS-CoV-2, with no viral RNA detected, suggesting a low risk of transmission in these settings with proper safety measures in place.
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