Figure of One Health

Texas professionals are employing a one health approach to protect the United States against biosecurity threats

Dr. Matthew Dasco

Texas is – and always has been – a unique nexus of ecological and professional diversity. The lone star state boasts the 9th largest economy in the world by GDP and is home to a wealth of agricultural and natural resources.1,2 It also, however, suffers from a distinct array of potentially catastrophic threats. These include natural disasters, such as hurricanes and drought, and vector-borne diseases which include Chikungunya, West Nile, and Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis (among many others). When it comes to complex issues, Texas benefits greatly from innovative interdisciplinary partnerships.

Dr. Matt Dacso and company recently published an article in One Health describing such partnerships, and why advancements in a One Health approach to problems are a must as the Texas landscape changes.3 The paper was co-authored by an array of well-known infectious disease experts from UTMB, Texas A&M, UT Health, and the Galveston County Health District, all of whom are keenly aware of the educational and interprofessional developments that are needed to be prepared for an uncertain future. Key points discussed in the article include improved collaboration on therapeutics and vaccine development, disease surveillance, and biopreparedness (a term which describes a population’s readiness for a future public health challenge).

The emergence of certain vector-borne diseases in Texas is one such threat. Chikungunya and Zika viruses presenting in travelers from the Dominican Republic are “an example of where global health intersects with One Health,” explains Dacso. “You had [viral] spillover from sylvatic cycles into urban cycles … made worse by urbanization and industrialization. Then you have human-to-human transmission exacerbated by migration. Some people are fleeing violence or seeking economic opportunity, so migration cannot be evaded.” Dr. Dacso explains that the communion of these natural and man-made factors can result in a “perfect storm” of human-animal interaction that eventually spreads disease. There were 230 cases of Chikungunya in Texas between 2014 and 2019.4

But the challenge doesn’t end at treating sick patients when they arrive. After these viruses were discovered in Texas in 2016, Dr. Dacso and others spoke with public health practitioners in Ontario, Canada. “Why does Canada care about vector-borne diseases?” he ponders. As we know, immigration and urbanization are not influencing disease spread in a vacuum. “The spectrum of vector-borne diseases is changing due to a changing climate,” he shares. “It’s not just about killing mosquitos, screening at ports, [and] developing vaccines and therapeutics; it’s all combined.”

In this sense, the One Health strategy is ahead of the curve. It seeks to anticipate changes in the landscape of a disease by broadening epidemiologic investigation and forming strong partnerships with ecologic, economic, and public health entities. Of course, there are new questions that follow adoption of the approach – such as which viruses to focus on and where to allocate money. Funding for proactive and preventative research (a role served by disease surveillance) can be difficult to obtain. “There are a lot of politics involved and a lot of ‘misses,’” Dacso offers. “Very few foundations are interested in the ‘hunt for the next pandemic virus.’”

As the article highlights, Texas is still making progress despite financial and political obstacles. The article also, in a way, serves as a call to action across the state. To quote from the conclusion: “Academic, state, non-profit, and private institutions in Texas would benefit from working together to develop more training and research opportunities that stimulate interprofessional and transdisciplinary OH collaborations.”3

  1. Texas enters 2021 as world’s 9th largest economy by GDP. (27 Jan 2021). Texas EDC. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from https://businessintexas.com/news/texas-enters-2021-as-worlds-9th-largest-economy-by-gdp/

  2. Texas Trade Facts. (2022). United States Trade Representative. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from http://ustr.gov/map/state-benefits/tx

  3. Dacso, M. M., Bente, D. A., Weaver, S. C., Kobinger, G. P., Melby, P. C., McLellan, S. L. F., Keiser, P. H., Hamer, S. A., Hamer, G. L., Parker, G. W., Douphrate, D. I., Rodriguez, A., Goodman, M. L., Ara, & Gray, G. C. (2022). Texas professionals are employing a one health approach to protect the United States against biosecurity threats. One Health, 15, 100431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2022.100431

  4. Texas: Vector-borne Diseases Profile (2004-2018) | Vital Signs | DVBD | NCEZID | CDC. (2020, May 5). https://www.cdc.gov/ncezid/dvbd/vital-signs/texas.html

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