Introduction: Interacting with nature is associated with positive health behaviors, including healthier dietary choices. While research has illustrated common barriers and facilitators to interacting with nature, how these factors vary among individuals with different dietary behaviors has not been examined. The purpose of this study was to compare barriers and facilitators to interacting with nature between individuals with high and low diet quality and sustainable eating scores.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of an explanatory sequential mixed methods study, that investigated the relationships among interactions with nature and dietary behaviors. Participants (n=300) completed the Diet History Questionnaire II where Healthy Eating Index-2020 (HEI-2020, diet quality, range: 0-100) and EAT-Lancet Index (EAT-LI, sustainable eating, range: 0-42) scores were determined. A purposive sample of participants (n=30) were interviewed to compare facilitators and barriers: half the interviewees had high diet scores (HEI-2020: ≥62.87, EAT-LI: ≥24) and half had low diet scores (HEI-2020: <62.87, EAT-LI: <24). Qualitative data were thematically analyzed. Data were connected by the sampling strategy and joint displays were developed.

Results: The average (SD) HEI-2020 score was 62.87 (9.85) and median (IQR) EAT-LI score was 24.00 (5.00). Five barriers and facilitators to interacting with nature were identified: health, weather, time, distance, and social engagement. Interviewees with high diet scores more frequently highlighted how nature in close proximity was a facilitator. Those with low diet scores often described socializing, having fun, and pursuing positive mental health as facilitators, and poor weather as a barrier.

Conclusion: This research offers insights for future interventions by highlighting distinct barriers and facilitators to interacting with nature among individuals with varying dietary behaviors. The results, which underscore the potential role of environmental and social factors, suggest opportunities for public health and urban planning to support healthful behaviors through nature-based interventions.

Background: The syndemic of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and malaria in under-five children co-occurring with the impacts of climate change in Rajasthan presents a critical public health challenge. Current SAM and malaria programs are implemented as vertical interventions despite the potential benefits of integrated approaches, particularly in the context of climate variability. A better understanding of the interactions between these factors is important to strengthen the delivery of integrated services.

Objective: This study investigates the relationship between under-five SAM, malaria infections, and climate variables at the block level in Rajasthan to inform targeted, integrated interventions. By running regression analyses and spatiotemporal clustering of malaria and malnutrition hotspots, we will identify associations between these co-occurring health threats and recommend priority regions to guide state-level policy integration.

Methods: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to analyze data for under-five children spanning 6 years (2013-2019) at the block level for the state of Rajasthan using a repeated cross-sectional design. These data have been retrieved from the Health Management Information System (HMIS) government portal and are used to examine seasonal and geographic trends, revealing more granular insights into the relationship between these variables over six years. The following hypotheses are tested using mixed-effects regression and spatiotemporal analyses: (1) Blocks with higher under-five SAM cases are more likely to experience higher malaria prevalence; (2) Under-five malaria infections and SAM exhibit seasonal variations influenced by climate factors; and (3) Spatiotemporal clustering of hotspots can identify priority regions for integrated interventions.

Results and Implications: Findings will enhance the currently limited understanding of the under-five SAM -malaria-climate nexus at the block level and provide insights to support integrated intervention strategies, improving child health outcomes in Rajasthan’s evolving syndemic.

Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous microorganism that can be isolated from an array of biotic and abiotic surfaces. The pathogen had been involved in several multistate outbreaks in 2025 according to Active Surveillance data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infections with Listeria monocytogenes are almost exclusively (>98% of cases) associated with consumption of contaminated food commodities. Although causing mostly flu-like symptoms during pregnancy, this pathogen can negatively impact the outcome of pregnancy. Pregnant women are nearly 10 times more likely to contract this pathogen due to immune system suppression. Listeria monocytogenes could survive, proliferate, and make complex biofilm structures on biotic and abiotic surfaces. The current study discusses (i) the epidemiology of Listeriosis with special emphasis on health disparities associated with the pathogen (ii) ecology, biofilm formation, and importance of Listeria monocytogenes during pregnancy, and (iii) recent preventive and novel technologies for eliminating the pathogen.
Our results highlight the importance of preventive measures, particularly for the control of biofilms of Listeria monocytogenes in biotic surfaces. We observed Listeria biofilms could be >3 times more resistant (P < 0.05) to common treatments relative to planktonic cells of the pathogen. Additionally results of randomized complete block design trials completed at public health microbiology program, further illustrate that utilization of bacteriocins and bioactive compounds such as nisin, carvacrol, and thymol and novel technologies such as elevated hydrostatic pressure could appreciably reduce the occurrence of Listeriosis infections. The attendees are expected to develop a better understanding of the epidemiology and biofilm formation of this important infectious disease and its importance during pregnancy. Additionally, they will become acquainted with recent advancements in the prevention of this ubiquitous and opportunistic pathogen of public health concern.

Introduction:

Foodborne pathogens know no borders. In a world of globalized travel and trade, antimicrobial-resistant pathogens spread across oceans, infiltrating food chains, markets, and bodies with ease. Without urgent intervention, once-treatable infections are increasingly becoming public health crises, as multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria contaminate the United States’ (US) food supply. Inappropriate antimicrobial use leads to resistant pathogens developing in livestock, poultry, or environmental reservoirs, and spreading among humans. This staggering reality emphasizes the urgency of effective multi-sectoral One Health responses. As treatment options diminish, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in food systems threatens food security, clinical medicine, and public health infrastructure. This paper dissects how AMR spreads through food systems and evaluates the effectiveness of global surveillance and mitigation strategies.

Methods:

A literature review of relevant articles from 2019 to now was conducted to assess AMR trends in poultry, dairy, beef, pork, and international food trade, mapping how resistant bacteria cross food chains and international borders. Genomic studies, epidemiological investigations, and surveillance reports were analyzed to compare U.S. trends with global patterns. Additionally, One Health efforts like antibiotic stewardship policies, food safety regulations, and public health education programs were analyzed to determine their effectiveness.

Results:

Findings revealed which One Health-related policies worked, which fell short, and what lessons the U.S. can learn from global successes. Additionally, AMR-related trends sometimes varied widely between countries. Finally, global patterns in antimicrobial consumption, antimicrobial residues, and resistant strains of bacteria were also observed.

Implications:

The US plays a significant role in global trade and food safety. Therefore, implementing effective One Health strategies will have a net positive effect in the global fight against AMR in the food chain. Global trade partners can then replicate successful strategies and facilitate further One Health collaborations worldwide.

Food aid and food pantries play a critical role in supporting vulnerable and underserved communities by providing essential nutrients, including crucial animal protein sources. The Emerson Act enables food pantries to accept donations in good faith, thus bridging the gap between surplus and food insecurity. Due to rising food insecurity, food pantries are an essential part of the broader food system infrastructure. However, concerns about the safety of donated venison and wild game meats persist. These concerns are due to the presence of lead (Pb) fragments and high concentration levels of lead. Even low levels of lead can pose risks in utero, and during childhood and adulthood, including adverse effects on neurological and behavioral outcomes in children, and increased risks of poor maternal health outcomes. In a cooperative effort, many states have tested venison and wild game meats offered for donation and found detectable levels of Pb in 7% to 59% of these meats when screened with X-rays. There are documented cases of lead toxicity in adults who have consumed game meat contaminated with ammunition lead. The study aimed was to determine how regulatory jurisdictions across the U.S. oversee venison and wild game meats intended for food aid donations within their areas, using an anonymous cross-sectional survey and descriptive analysis. We evaluated current regulatory practices for monitoring these meats and assessed the effectiveness of these measures in ensuring their safety for food aid. By analyzing survey responses and evaluating existing regulatory measures through a mixed-methods approach, our study provides insights and recommends enhancements to regulatory practices. Our findings provide that regulatory jurisdictions and food aid distribution mechanisms within existing infrastructures need improved monitoring programs to minimize Pb exposure and reduce adverse health outcomes among vulnerable and underserved individuals and households.

Despite the connection between people, plants, animals, and their shared environment, biomonitoring persistent pesticides in animals remains underexplored in One Health surveillance. Biomonitoring persistent pesticides in keratinized animal tissues provides a non-invasive option to measure exposure to these chemicals across multiple species from a variety of environments – information which can provide critical insights in animal, human, and environmental health.

We conducted a literature review of studies biomonitoring persistent pesticides in keratinized tissues of animals. Literature was searched for peer-reviewed original research articles from 1950 to 2024, yielding 31 peer-reviewed studies published between 2001 and 2021.

Avian feathers were the most frequently studied biological matrix, while mammalian fur accounted for about 15% of studies. Among the studies on avian feathers, Accipitriformes were the most studied birds. Among the studies focused on mammals, fur analysis was dominated by Carnivora, mostly in domesticated dogs and cats. No studies measured pesticides in hooves, beaks, or scales. Grouping species by their primary dietary habits, we found carnivorous animals to be the most well studied. The majority of the studies focused on animals that are not primarily scavengers. We also found that most studies were conducted in Western Europe, with limited research in North and South America, Africa, and Antarctica, and no research in Australia. The most commonly studied organochlorine insecticides were dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and hexachlorocyclohexanes, as well as the fungicide hexachlorobenzene. In addition to persistent pesticides, many studies measured other persistent pollutants and other pesticides, including organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides.

The use of biomonitoring in animal feathers and fur is a promising tool for the surveillance of persistent pesticide exposure. Given that his information is critical for animal, human, plant, and environmental health risks, expanding surveillance to diverse species and regions can strengthen One Health approaches.

Introduction:

One major challenge for small agricultural businesses (e.g., crop farms) is how and when to implement control efforts on mosquito populations to achieve a balance between workforce health and economic outcomes from crop yields. This challenge could generate synergistic effects that potentially threaten entire sectors if the dominant provision of goods and services regionally relies on small businesses that are all facing workforce depletion simultaneously due to the same event (e.g., a significant outbreak affecting the entire population from which they all draw their labor force).

Methods:

Using a modified Ross-Macdonald model, we analyze the system to determine whether, and if so by how much, mitigation of the total disease outbreak is compromised by attempts to ensure an adequate workforce during harvest, especially when the peak times of disease outbreaks and crop harvesting differ significantly from each other.

Results:

I found that control based on disease outbreaks, where a certain number of infected humans trigger the control, would lead to the highest labor and infection levels during harvest time. In contrast, proactive control before the harvesting season would reduce mosquito populations more effectively than either no control or control based on disease outbreaks. Compared to proactive control focused on harvest time, control based on disease outbreaks results in a lower maximum disease peak. The control based on harvesting season would be more effective when the mosquito breeding season is delayed.

Implications:

By comparing the number of infected humans, total labor force, and mosquito population across two common control strategies used by small crop farms, our study provides guidance and insights for farmers to understand the influences of mosquito seasonality on workforce health and crop yield during specific harvesting seasons.

Large-scale industrial animal husbandry facilities, or concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), are associated with negative health outcomes in communities near them and among workers. While research has explored the impact of CAFOs on pollution and antimicrobial resistance, less research has investigated the association between CAFOs and tuberculosis. This study examines the relationship between tuberculosis incidence and CAFO density at the county level in North Carolina (NC) in 2023.

Using publicly available data, we employed a bivariate Moran’s I test to assess whether there is spatial autocorrelation and co-clustering of tuberculosis incidence and CAFO density. We then used a spatial regression model to investigate the relationship between tuberculosis and CAFOs while controlling for other important covariates, focusing on population density, percent of people living in poverty, and hospital beds per person. To assess whether this relationship was unique to tuberculosis or more broadly observed, we repeated the analyses on other respiratory illnesses, such as influenza and pneumococcus.

Preliminary results show a significant relationship between tuberculosis incidence and CAFO density. Bivariate Moran’s I tests revealed that tuberculosis incidence and CAFO density exhibited shared spatial autocorrelation, meaning that counties with high tuberculosis incidences tended to have or be near counties with high CAFO densities. The spatial regression found that increasing CAFO density is strongly associated with increased tuberculosis incidence even after controlling for demographic, sociodemographic, and healthcare access covariates. Analyses of other respiratory illnesses did not reveal any significant relationships with CAFOs, suggesting that CAFOs may have a unique impact on tuberculosis.

This work contributes to the growing body of research on the health impacts of industrial agriculture and emphasizes the need for targeted surveillance and interventions in high-risk areas. Further investigation is needed to determine whether the observed associations reflect direct transmission dynamics or indirect drivers of tuberculosis.

Introduction

Urban agriculture (UA) is one solution to the challenge of food security. Incorporating animals into UA has benefits and risks, including exposure to zoonotic diseases. The focus of this project was to identify species that are commonly utilized in UA in the most urban counties of the state of Michigan.

Methods

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the United States Department of Agriculture performs the Census of Agriculture every 5 years. To evaluate if there was a change in agricultural species ownership in the counties of interest, data from four Censuses between 2002 and 2017 was evaluated. Chi-square statistics were used to test for statistically significant changes in the proportion of premises reporting ownership of agricultural animals between the 2002 and 2017 censuses as well as to identify statistically significant differences between the individual counties and the State of Michigan in 2017.

Results

There were significant increases the number of premises reporting ownership of poultry in four counties and the state. Two counties and the state had significant increases in the number of premises reporting ownership of small ruminants (sheep and goats). One county had a significant increase in the number of premises reporting ownership of hogs. One county and the state had significant increases in the number of premises reporting ownership of camelids (llamas and alpacas). Based on the 2017 Census of Agriculture, each county had significant differences in ownership of agricultural species when compared with the State of Michigan.

Implications

Data from the NASS can provide important information about agricultural practices. The reports from the NASS Census of Agriculture are currently publicly available for all states and territories. These reports can serve as a useful tool to explore the use of animals in agriculture and to plan both research studies and public health outreach activities.