Leishmaniasis in Greece: Prospects of transitioning to a One Health surveillance system

Leishmaniasis is a high burden neglected disease in the Mediterranean ecoregion, lacking surveillance attention. We aimed to provide an overview of the state of leishmaniasis surveillance in Greece, investigating the prospect of transitioning to a One Health surveillance system.We conducted a narrat...

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Main Authors: Emmanouil Alexandros Fotakis, Dimitris Papamichail, Sofia Boutsini, Eleni Patsoula, Takis Panagiotopoulos
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:One Health
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352771424002222
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author Emmanouil Alexandros Fotakis
Dimitris Papamichail
Sofia Boutsini
Eleni Patsoula
Takis Panagiotopoulos
author_facet Emmanouil Alexandros Fotakis
Dimitris Papamichail
Sofia Boutsini
Eleni Patsoula
Takis Panagiotopoulos
author_sort Emmanouil Alexandros Fotakis
collection DOAJ
description Leishmaniasis is a high burden neglected disease in the Mediterranean ecoregion, lacking surveillance attention. We aimed to provide an overview of the state of leishmaniasis surveillance in Greece, investigating the prospect of transitioning to a One Health surveillance system.We conducted a narrative review describing human and animal leishmaniasis data from Greece, including entomological findings. Through a separate review process, we describe the current leishmaniasis surveillance system pertaining to humans, animals, vectors and the environment. Additionally, we distributed likert-scale questionnaires to key informants, capturing expert-view on the necessity, existing levels and barriers of OH leishmaniasis surveillance in Greece. We identified key system strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats respective to a OH transition through SWOT analysis.Greece is endemic for zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and canine leishmaniasis (CanL), displaying an increasing VL trend in recent years and high national Leishmania seroprevalence rates in dogs (range: 13.8–23.4 %). Mandatory leishmaniasis notification in humans and animals, human case-based investigations, and active case finding activities in stray dogs, comprise valuable system components of high OH operational relevance. Conversely, the existing CanL surveillance governance and the lack of systematic entomological surveillance constitute important drawbacks. Moreover, the current context of public health and animal health financial constraints in Greece may impede a strategic OH transition in leishmaniasis surveillance. On the contrary, Greece's OH experience in West Nile Virus surveillance in conjunction with leishmaniasis-expert consensus on the necessity of OH surveillance and key barriers to its realization, compose important transition opportunities.Despite shortfalls in human, animal and vector surveillance, existing system characteristics, structures and practices comprise a promising basis for developing OH cross-sectoral leishmaniasis surveillance activities in Greece.
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spelling doaj-art-55391fa1877544fca6a10391d8e4cb4f2024-12-18T08:49:26ZengElsevierOne Health2352-77142024-12-0119100896Leishmaniasis in Greece: Prospects of transitioning to a One Health surveillance systemEmmanouil Alexandros Fotakis0Dimitris Papamichail1Sofia Boutsini2Eleni Patsoula3Takis Panagiotopoulos4Department of Public Health Policies, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece; MSc Course in Public Health (Specialty: Public Health Science and Policy), Department of Public Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece; Corresponding author at: Department of Public Health Policies, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, Alexandra Avenue 196, 11521 Athens, Greece.Department of Public Health Policies, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, Athens, GreeceDepartment of Parasitology-Parasitic Diseases, Entomology and Bee Health Directorate of Athens Veterinary Centre, Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Athens, GreeceDepartment of Public Health Policies, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, Athens, GreeceDepartment of Public Health Policies, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, Athens, GreeceLeishmaniasis is a high burden neglected disease in the Mediterranean ecoregion, lacking surveillance attention. We aimed to provide an overview of the state of leishmaniasis surveillance in Greece, investigating the prospect of transitioning to a One Health surveillance system.We conducted a narrative review describing human and animal leishmaniasis data from Greece, including entomological findings. Through a separate review process, we describe the current leishmaniasis surveillance system pertaining to humans, animals, vectors and the environment. Additionally, we distributed likert-scale questionnaires to key informants, capturing expert-view on the necessity, existing levels and barriers of OH leishmaniasis surveillance in Greece. We identified key system strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats respective to a OH transition through SWOT analysis.Greece is endemic for zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and canine leishmaniasis (CanL), displaying an increasing VL trend in recent years and high national Leishmania seroprevalence rates in dogs (range: 13.8–23.4 %). Mandatory leishmaniasis notification in humans and animals, human case-based investigations, and active case finding activities in stray dogs, comprise valuable system components of high OH operational relevance. Conversely, the existing CanL surveillance governance and the lack of systematic entomological surveillance constitute important drawbacks. Moreover, the current context of public health and animal health financial constraints in Greece may impede a strategic OH transition in leishmaniasis surveillance. On the contrary, Greece's OH experience in West Nile Virus surveillance in conjunction with leishmaniasis-expert consensus on the necessity of OH surveillance and key barriers to its realization, compose important transition opportunities.Despite shortfalls in human, animal and vector surveillance, existing system characteristics, structures and practices comprise a promising basis for developing OH cross-sectoral leishmaniasis surveillance activities in Greece.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352771424002222LeishmaniasisSurveillanceOne healthGreece
spellingShingle Emmanouil Alexandros Fotakis
Dimitris Papamichail
Sofia Boutsini
Eleni Patsoula
Takis Panagiotopoulos
Leishmaniasis in Greece: Prospects of transitioning to a One Health surveillance system
One Health
Leishmaniasis
Surveillance
One health
Greece
title Leishmaniasis in Greece: Prospects of transitioning to a One Health surveillance system
title_full Leishmaniasis in Greece: Prospects of transitioning to a One Health surveillance system
title_fullStr Leishmaniasis in Greece: Prospects of transitioning to a One Health surveillance system
title_full_unstemmed Leishmaniasis in Greece: Prospects of transitioning to a One Health surveillance system
title_short Leishmaniasis in Greece: Prospects of transitioning to a One Health surveillance system
title_sort leishmaniasis in greece prospects of transitioning to a one health surveillance system
topic Leishmaniasis
Surveillance
One health
Greece
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352771424002222
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