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OneHealth

A One Health approach is the way forward.

One Health is a multidisciplinary approach which is aimed at preventing and controlling infectious diseases with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes by recognising the link between people, animals, and the environment. The principles of the One Health approach have been evolving at a global level since 2004. A National Expert Group on ‘One Health’ as a multi-sectoral, transdisciplinary, collaborative group was set up by India in May 2019. In 2021, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, GoI supported a mega consortium on ‘One Health’ consisting of 27 organisations led by DBT-National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, which is one of the biggest one health programs launched by Govt of India in post-COVID times.

RESQ against Rabies (Since 2016)

Surveillance, canine rabies response units, quarantine and testing, research

RESQ in Pune, has been involved in active surveillance and management of Rabies, a life-threatening disease since 2016. Due to the increased number of Rabies-suspected animals being reported to our helplines, in 2016, RESQ collaborated with Bangalore based organisation, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE supported by the Wellcome Trust, UK/Department of Biotechnology, Government of India Alliance program). Dr. Abi T. Vanak's team and RESQ worked together on creating a Rabies Response Unit, Quarantine and Testing Facility, conducted a Stray Dog Population Estimation Study in Pune City (2018) and ran several studies involving Population Level Sero-Survey of Rabies Antibodies, Population Dynamics Cohort and Vaccine Efficacy Studies. Jointly, our work was presented at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC's International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases (ICEID).

Scientific Publications

  1. Genome Sequences of Five Indian Canine Rabies Virus Isolates Obtained Using Oxford Nanopore Technologies Sequencing. (April 2022) Kumar A, Nath SS, Sridhar Sudarshan A, Iyer V, Jadeja NB, Panchamia N, Banerji I, Vanak AT, Tatu U DOI: 10.1128/mra.01246-21
    Read here
  2. A passive “OneHealth” surveillance system to track canine rabies in urban India. (Pre-print) Vanak AT, Panchamia N, Banerji I, Nair M. DOI: 10.1101/2022.02.23.22271029
    Read here

Real Time Surveillance of Canine Rabies Outbreak in a Large Indian Metropolis

Rabies response unit, rabies control programs