The One Health paradigm encompasses human, animal, and environmental health and therefore requires the collaboration and cooperation of a varied group of people with differing backgrounds and priorities. Wildlife Health Australia demonstrates what this can look like through our Bat Health Focus Group (BHFG).

There are many reasons why considering wildlife health in a One Health context is important and this is particularly clear with bats. Bats can transmit zoonotic diseases which have human and public health implications, but they also provide vital ecosystem services. Many bat species in Australia are also listed as threatened. Using a collaborative One Health approach the BHFG considers bat health issues in the broader context of public health, biosecurity, domestic animal health and environmental impacts. This demonstrates how taking a One Health focus can make a real contribution to the overall collaboration of multiple sectors to the benefit of people and bats. This presentation will focus on how the BHFG takes a One Health approach and highlight several key achievements and resources including communications and public health messaging guidelines, PPE and biosecurity information, disease surveillance and the critical importance of cross sector collaborations for pandemic prevention and preparedness.

The importance of building capacity in One Health is acknowledged as a key area of focus by the interim Australian CDC. With this growing interest, the BHFG provides an example of what One Health in action can look like and how this can be applied to various contexts.

Understanding the bat roosting and feeding ecology in a rapidly changing landscape like Bangladesh is critical to designing effective interventions for Nipah virus (NiV) spillover to humans. Hence, this study aimed to determine how land use change drives bat roosting ecology and human-bat food competition on cultivated food resources promotes viral transmission to humans in Bangladesh. We performed an ecological and qualitative study in eight NiV outbreaks and non-outbreak districts in Bangladesh between 2021 and 2022. We conducted an observational study on bat roost ecological characteristics, human-bat interactions, and 65 ethnographic interviews with fruit orchard owners, raw date palm sap (RDPS) harvesters, consumers, and bat hunters. We identified 108 bat roosts, with 87.9% located within 30 meters of human dwellings. Domestic animals graze underneath 85% of bat roosts. We observed a scarcity of wild fruit trees in the community that made bats rely heavily on human-cultivated fruits and raw date palm sap. Community people preferred planting timber trees over fruit trees for economic reasons. Moreover, 26% of roosts were disturbed by tree cutting and bat hunting. Hunters hunt bats for their own protein needs, for sale, and for traditional medicinal purposes. The participants reported rapid conversion of forest areas to agricultural land, human settlements, and urbanization. Consequently, bats are heavily dependent on human cultivated fruit resources and RDPS drinking and roosting close to human residences. Participants reported declining local bat populations due to hunting and ecological changes. People reported eating unwashed, dropped fruits and bat-bitten fruits and occasionally feeding them to their household animals. Orchard owners use a mist net to protect bats visiting in their garden, and bats entangled on the net and died. The findings of the study underscore the significance of human-bat competition on cultivated fruit resources in modified landscapes, together with shared RDPS consumed by bats and people, as critical pathways of NiV spillover in Bangladesh. We recommend future study on ecological and behavioural interventions to prevent bat-borne viral spillover from bats to humans and domestic animals in Bangladesh

Ross River virus (RRV) is the most reported and widespread vector (mosquito) borne disease in Australia, with 1000s of cases annually and an estimated economic effect of 4.3 million dollars per year. Due to the complex relationship vector borne diseases have with the natural world, they can be difficult to predict. For example, RRV has been found in over forty different mosquito species, can be vertically transmitted (mosquito vertical transmission) and has a variety of reservoir hosts e.g. possums, and kangaroos.
In this presentation we present our work on four week ahead local government area (LGA), RRV case count forecasts, across Queensland and Victoria from 2009 to 2020. We demonstrate how our models integrate weather data, human case data, and where available mosquito abundance data (where the resolution and detail vary across sites). We present both mechanistic, and data-driven models, and discuss the assumptions that we have made based on data availability and parsimony. We then present the different insights our modelling techniques have given and the trade-offs of the different techniques.
Following the discussion on effective forecasting of RRV, at the LGA level across Queensland and Victoria, we present our forecasting tool. The tool will demonstrate how our models can be used with an extensible and user-friendly design. We discuss how the tool can be used in other locations and for other diseases. We place an emphasis on the outputs and how these can be interpreted.

Background

Since 2017, locally acquired cases of Buruli ulcer, caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, have been reported in many inner Melbourne suburbs. Despite frequent health advisories and media releases, knowledge of this emerging condition among local residents and clinicians has been limited, potentially leading to delayed diagnosis and prolonged recovery.

Methods

To address this, the Western Public Health Unit (WPHU) delivered a targeted letterbox campaign in October 2024. WPHU delivered 4,825 flyers outlining key epidemiological risks and clinical features of Buruli ulcer to households in the areas at risk. Each flyer featured a QR code directing residents to a dedicated webpage containing additional information and prompted those with symptoms of concern to seek specific assessment from their doctor.

Results

Following the distribution of 4825 flyers, 1,026 unique visitors accessed the linked webpage, resulting in an engagement rate of 21.3%. Concurrently, Buruli ulcer notifications increased in epidemiological weeks 44 to 46 of 2024 among residents of the targeted, at-risk suburbs, aligning with the start of the campaign. During this period, WPHU received an average of four new notifications of Buruli ulcer per week, compared to one per week during the equivalent weeks in the previous five years.

Conclusion

The immediate increase in case notifications after distributing flyers indicates that numerous residents with undiagnosed lesions sought testing for and were diagnosed with Buruli ulcer because of this campaign. These findings demonstrate that a well-designed letterbox campaign that is targeted and provides direct communication with at-risk communities is a beneficial strategy for communicating emerging local public health issues. This approach should be considered as part of public health engagement strategies where appropriate.

Since the 2022 Japanese encephalitis (JE) outbreak in mainland Australia, JE vaccination has been recommended for high-risk populations, including residents of JE virus-affected regions. However, the need for booster doses remains unclear. This review summarises relevant evidence and vaccination guidelines to inform Australian JE booster recommendations. It focused on effects of boosters and duration of immunity on live chimeric (Imojev) and inactivated Vero cell (JEspect) JE vaccines.

One study showed 90% of children in endemic regions were seroprotected (ie. JE virus-specific PRNT50 titre ≥1:10) at least 3 years after primary JEspect vaccination. Adult studies from non-endemic settings showed a declined seroprotection (82%) at 5 years after primary vaccination, with only 50-60% of those without tick-borne encephalitis virus remaining protected. A JEspect booster dose given 12-15 months after the primary series produced robust immune responses lasting at least 2 years in children and 6 years in adults.

Children (aged 9 to 42 months) in endemic countries primarily vaccinated with Imojev demonstrated >80% seroprotection rates at 1-2 years (5 studies), which declined to >65.6% at 5 years. Sustained seroprotection (93%) was observed in adults from non-endemic settings for at least 5 years after primary vaccination. A booster dose elicited a rapid anamnestic response, with persistent seroprotection rates at 5 years in both children and adults (99.1% and 97%, respectively).

In most non-endemic countries, one booster dose of JEspect is recommended 1-2 years after the primary course for those aged ≥2 months with ongoing risk. Second booster recommendations are inconsistent. Imojev boosters are generally recommended for children (aged ≥9 months) after 1 year, but not for adults. Current JE vaccine recommendations are based on limited immunogenicity data from small trials. Future research investigating long-term duration of immune responses and vaccine effectiveness is needed, especially from non-endemic regions with localised or sporadic JEV transmission.

A targeted mpox outreach immunisation pop-up session was held at the LGBTQI+ Midsumma Festival in Victoria to boost vaccine uptake and increase mpox disease awareness. The session successfully immunised 105 individuals, with an additional 100 seeking information. A survey of 77 participants revealed key insights into the barriers and motivations surrounding immunisation. 40% of those seeking vaccination had previously attempted to get immunised but faced obstacles. Additionally, 73% of those immunised were unaware of other providers offering the vaccine. Despite these challenges, motivation to get vaccinated was notably high. This session will also explore the practical aspects of running culturally sensitive pop-up clinics at festivals during summer. These findings underscore the need for clearer communication on disease prevention, better access to vaccination services, and a more progressive approach to overcoming barriers. Addressing these factors can significantly improve immunisation rates within the LGBTQI+ community and beyond.

Background: COVID-19 prompted an outpouring of people’s opinions and feelings on social media, giving a rich data source for policy makers to monitor public sentiment regarding policy announcements. However, the use of this data by government decision makers in Australia has not been documented.

Aims: To explore the perspectives of public health decision makers regarding the collection and use of community sentiment data.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews with stakeholders (n=20) from local health, state and federal government departments who were involved in the COVID-19 response were conducted via videoconferencing. Questions related to the participant’s perspectives towards the approaches that have been used to access public opinion during health emergencies, and if analysis of social media was utilised. Further, opinions were sought regarding best practice for future health emergencies, including the use of social media as a data source, and of artificial intelligence systems for analysis. The utility of these systems for multicultural communities was a particular focus.

Results: Thematic analysis of interview transcripts revealed that social media data was mostly monitored and used informally, for example, through manual review of comments on health department social media accounts, and addressed as talking points in health department communications. The benefits of using social media data included timeliness and minimal use of resources when compared to other methods. There was reticence in the majority of participants to emphasise social media data in decision-making due to likelihood of bias. Community consultation and engagement was viewed as the most important mechanism to collect reliable public opinion data from multicultural communities.

Conclusion: Insights from public health decision-makers identify that analysis of social media will need to be further validated before it can be used as a substantive input when responding to future health emergencies. Community consultation remains the most widely accepted data source, particularly for multicultural communities.

Context and aim
The Australian Government has recently established a national Centre for Disease Control, adopting a One Health (OH) approach to respond to health challenges. However, limited knowledge of key stakeholders’ attitudes, practices and capacity regarding OH strategies across human, animal, and environment sectors may hinder effective implementation and compromise responses to emerging threats.

Methods & analysis
An online survey with stakeholders from government and non-government organisations across OH-related disciplines and sectors was undertaken in South Australia. Of the 45 respondents, 48.7% were from environmental sciences and 23.5% from human health.

Results
Although 60% reported limited OH knowledge, over half indicated involvement in cross-sector collaborations. Current OH activities focused on prevention and preparedness, surveillance, and managing zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases. Major challenges included insufficient funding, inadequate staffing, and poor inter-sectoral communication. Clear stewardship and leadership from local and state governments were considered crucial for implementing initiatives and delivering services.

Conclusions
Gaps in knowledge and practices for operationalizing OH in South Australia were identified, emphasising the need for sustainable funding and training to build expertise among future OH staff.

Implications for Public Health
The insights enable the prioritisation of planning efforts to enhance capacities for prevention and preparedness using a OH approach.

Since early-2024 unprecedented outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b have been ongoing in dairy cattle in the United States with significant consequences for the dairy industry and public health. Estimation of key epidemiological parameters is required to support outbreak response, including predicting the likely effectiveness of interventions and testing strategies. Here we pool limited publicly available data from three studies of naturally and experimentally infected dairy cattle. We quantify Ct value trajectories of infected dairy cattle and the relationship between Ct value and the log-titre of infectious virus, a proxy for infectiousness. We estimate that following infection peak Ct values are rapidly reached within 1–2 days with a population mean Ct value of 16.9 (13.2, 20.5). We identify a critical threshold Ct value of 21.5 (20.1, 23.6), with values of Ct value above this threshold representing little-to-no infectious viral load. Finally, we estimate the distribution of the duration of infectiousness for dairy cattle (i.e. the duration their Ct value remains above the critical threshold) with a population median of 6.2 (2.8, 13.1) days.

Background
Schistosomiasis remains a significant public health issue in Indonesia, particularly in endemic areas such as Lindu Highlands, Napu Plateau, and Bada Plateau. Schistosoma japonicum, the causative agent, is a major focus of eradication efforts as part of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in the region. Despite ongoing control programs, challenges persist in achieving sustainable prevention and elimination. This study aims to explore how prevention programs are implemented, identify areas for improvement, and examine best practices from other countries to inform more effective strategies.

Methods
This qualitative study employs a purposive sampling approach to gather insights from program managers, health workers, and community members involved in schistosomiasis prevention efforts. Data collection includes in-depth interviews which will be analyzed thematically. Additionally, a comparative analysis of successful schistosomiasis control strategies from other countries will be conducted to identify potential solutions applicable to the local context.

Expected Outcomes
The study is expected to provide a deeper understanding of the strengths and limitations of the current prevention programs. It aims to identify gaps in implementation, community engagement, and intersectoral collaboration while exploring international best practices that could enhance program effectiveness and sustainability in Central Sulawesi.

Conclusion
Findings from this study will contribute to the development of more effective and community-centered schistosomiasis prevention strategies, improving coordination among stakeholders, addressing socio-environmental determinants, and integrating lessons from successful international programs are expected to be key focus areas for optimizing program outcomes.

Keywords: Schistosomiasis, Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), Schistosoma japonicum, Prevention Programs, Community Engagement, Health Policy

The largest-ever Mpox outbreak in history began in May 2022, raising significant global concern. What distinguishes this outbreak from previous ones is its extensive reach across vast regions and high case numbers, particularly in countries where community transmission of the disease had not been reported before. To examine the spatiotemporal distribution of Mpox outbreaks in Europe and Africa since 2022, we conducted an area-based emerging hotspot analysis by developing a space-time cube of the occurrences. We aggregated data from 2021 to 2023 using EPIWATCH®, an early warning system for epidemics, and applied the Getis-Ord Gi* algorithm to monthly time slices across Europe and Africa. The results revealed a pattern of Mpox spread along the latitude line in Europe. The 2022 outbreak in Africa was more widespread than the 2017 outbreak, extending across Central Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. Additionally, we assessed the performance of EPIWATCH® as a surveillance database and found it to be a robust and effective tool for early detection and rapid reporting of Mpox. This paper offers valuable insights into the characteristics of Mpox transmission, which can inform policy-making for epidemic control and prevention.