What Do Adolescents Know About One-Health and Zoonotic Risks? A School-Based Survey in Italy, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Mauritius, and Japan

Abstract

More than 60% of the 1,700 infectious diseases that affect human come from animals and zoonotic pandemics, after starting from sporadic phenomena limited to rural areas, have become a global emergency. The repeated and frequent zoonotic outbreaks such as the most recent COVID-19 pandemic can be attributed also to human activities. In particular, the creation of enormous intensive domestic animal farms, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, the destruction of forests, the consumption of the meat of wild animals and the illegal animal trade are all factors causing the insurgence and the transmission of zoonotic diseases from animals to humans. The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge of the One Health concept including the zoonotic risk potentially derived from illegally traded pet animals and wildlife among adolescents in 6 different countries (Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Germany, Mauritius, and Japan). A representative sample of 656 students was recruited and all participants took an anonymous questionnaire. Data were analyzed by ANOVAs to estimate the prevalence of correct health prevention behaviors and to identify the influential factors for these behaviors. After two theoretical-practical lectures, the same anonymous questionnaire was administered for the second time in order to assess the efficacy of the program. The proportion of students who did not know that many diseases affecting humans come from animals is 28.96% while 32.16% of them did not know what a zoonosis is. The circularity of the One Health concept related to the transmission of diseases from animals to humans and vice-versa is not understood from a large prevalence of the adolescents with 31.40 and 59.91% of wrong responses, respectively. Furthermore, rabies is not considered as a dangerous disease by 23.02% of the adolescents. After two theoretical-practical classroom sessions, the correct answers improved to 21.92% according to the different question. More than a third of the student cohort investigated showed a profound ignorance of the zoonotic risks and a poor understanding of the One Health concept. The authors believe that the teaching of health prevention with a One Health approach and a practical training should be included in every school curriculum.

Improving the knowledge of high school students about zoonotic diseases from pets in Medellín-Colombia

“…In addition, we found that some practices such as having mouth contact with the animals, touching pet feces, and do not always wash their hands after contact with their pets are similar to results found in Ethiopia [39], where 14.9% of high school students haring the same house with animals; 24.2% feed their pets with raw food, and 16.7% did not vaccinate their pets; and in Italy, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Mauritius, and Japan almost 24% of the students are unaware that pets must be dewormed [28], those results exposes them to a tangible risk of being infected by zoonotic parasitic diseases such as Giardia or Toxocara.…”

“…In Ethiopia, the information shows that 76.8% of high school students had heard about zoonoses [24]. In Malaysia, the 11% [25], in a previous study in Nariño, Colombia, and Usme, the authors found that 63% and 74.6% of the respondent had heard about the term zoonoses [26,27], in Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Mauritius, and Japan 67.84% of adolescents know the meaning of the term zoonoses [28]. However, in Brazil, only 28.2% had heard the term zoonosis [29].…”

A Three-Year Biocrime Sanitary Surveillance on Illegally Imported Companion Animals

“…Through the direct-to-consumer policy, puppies are shipped from the producers/international distributors to buyers without relying on traditional stores or other middlemen [ 54 ]. Although the main targets of illegal pet trafficking are families and adolescents, a high proportion of adolescents does not know that most infectious diseases affecting humans come from an animal reservoir [ 6 ]. Therefore, the main target of illegal trafficking is even more exposed to zoonotic risk as largely ignorant.…”

“…The final aim of the project was to tackle the illegal animal trade through a cross-border cooperation approach, to monitor the health status of traded animals and to protect the health and safety of EU citizens [ 1 ]. Indeed, from a sanitary perspective, the illegal animal trade can facilitate the spread across borders of pathogens relevant to both animal and public health [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. The strategy included the synergic cooperation among veterinary public health, justice and law enforcement through the involvement of the international police and custom cooperation centers [ 1 ].…”

Increasing urban health awareness in adolescents using an interactive approach: evidence from a school-based pre-post pilot study in Rome, Italy

“…Previous research, with a similar approach to ours, investigated adolescents’ knowledge concerning One Health [ 41 ], which should likewise be regarded as a high-priority theme in educational interventions [ 42 ]. Nonetheless, to the best of our knowledge, this research is the first study worldwide that investigates the effectiveness of a school-based intervention on Urban Health knowledge in a student population, and it can be considered a pilot study for future research.…”