The Arctic Human Health Initiative: a legacy of the International Polar Year 2007–2009

Parkinson, Alan J.

doi:10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21655

Cited by 14 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 93 publications

(94 reference statements)

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“…In the same way that the transfer of buildingsourced microorganisms and the resulting health effects is most easily observed in infants and the immunocompromised, humans living in extreme built environments can model how a simplified indoor microbiome might affect otherwise healthy individuals. In isolated communities such as in the Arctic or Antarctic, heightened social connectedness created by consolidated living conditions can contribute to the spread of human-to-human [213] and building-to-human [214] infections; gastrointestinal disease from water recycling systems is a constant concern [214]. The bacterial community in the gastrointestinal tract of Antarctic visitors decreased in diversity and lost key beneficial members, such as Bifidobacterium [215], both of which can lead to a disrupted intestinal community and risk of disease.…”

Section: The Lifelong Impact Of Microbial Roommatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building upon current knowledge and techniques of indoor microbiology to construct the next era of theory into microorganisms, health, and the built environment

Horve

Lloyd

Mhuireach

et al. 2019

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

109

103

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In the constructed habitat in which we spend up to 90% of our time, architectural design influences occupants' behavioral patterns, interactions with objects, surfaces, rituals, the outside environment, and each other. Within this built environment, human behavior and building design contribute to the accrual and dispersal of microorganisms; it is a collection of fomites that transfer microorganisms; reservoirs that collect biomass; structures that induce human or air movement patterns; and space types that encourage proximity or isolation between humans whose personal microbial clouds disperse cells into buildings. There have been recent calls to incorporate building microbiology into occupant health and exposure research and standards, yet the built environment is largely viewed as a repository for microorganisms which are to be eliminated, instead of a habitat which is inexorably linked to the microbial influences of building inhabitants. Health sectors have re-evaluated the role of microorganisms in health, incorporating microorganisms into prevention and treatment protocols, yet no paradigm shift has occurred with respect to microbiology of the built environment, despite calls to do so. Technological and logistical constraints often preclude our ability to link health outcomes to indoor microbiology, yet sufficient study exists to inform the theory and implementation of the next era of research and intervention in the built environment. This review presents built environment characteristics in relation to human health and disease, explores some of the current experimental strategies and interventions which explore health in the built environment, and discusses an emerging model for fostering indoor microbiology rather than fearing it.

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Section: The Lifelong Impact Of Microbial Roommatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building upon current knowledge and techniques of indoor microbiology to construct the next era of theory into microorganisms, health, and the built environment

Horve

Lloyd

Mhuireach

et al. 2019

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

109

103

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The effects of climate warming on land, ice, snow, weather, vegetation, and wildlife are adversely affecting the health and well-being of indigenous peoples by eroding their sense of place, causing increased levels of insecurity and emotional distress (Cunsolo Willox et al 2014). The health concerns of Arctic peoples include stark disparities between indigenous and non-indigenous populations in key health parameters such as infant mortality and life expectancy (Young and Bjerregaard 2008;Parkinson 2013). Climate change in the Arctic is occurring against a background of increased globalization, with formerly isolated remote villages now directly linked to major cities by air and marine transportation, increasing their vulnerability to the introduction of infectious diseases from outside areas.…”

Section: People Pathogens and Wildlifementioning

confidence: 98%

“…The value of wild animals and plants to Arctic peoples transcends their nutritional and material importance, however, to include cultural and social functions that are critical to the spiritual and physical well-being of indigenous peoples (Nuttall et al 2005;McIvor and Napoleon 2009;AMAP 2013). Adverse effects of climate warming on the nutritional status and food security of indigenous Arctic peoples will include major changes in the distribution, abundance, and accessibility of wildlife resources that constitute the bulk of traditional subsistence diets and provide material goods of economic and cultural importance (Welch et al 1998;Laaksonen et al 2010;Parkinson 2013).…”

Section: People Pathogens and Wildlifementioning

confidence: 99%

Climate Change in the North American Arctic: A One Health Perspective

et al. 2015

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Climate change is expected to increase the prevalence of acute and chronic diseases among human and animal populations within the Arctic and subarctic latitudes of North America. Warmer temperatures are expected to increase disease risks from food-borne pathogens, water-borne diseases, and vector-borne zoonoses in human and animal populations of Arctic landscapes. Existing high levels of mercury and persistent organic pollutant chemicals circulating within terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in Arctic latitudes are a major concern for the reproductive health of humans and other mammals, and climate warming will accelerate the mobilization and biological amplification of toxic environmental contaminants. The adverse health impacts of Arctic warming will be especially important for wildlife populations and indigenous peoples dependent upon subsistence food resources from wild plants and animals. Additional research is needed to identify and monitor changes in the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens in humans, domestic dogs, and wildlife species of critical subsistence, cultural, and economic importance to Arctic peoples. The long-term effects of climate warming in the Arctic cannot be adequately predicted or mitigated without a comprehensive understanding of the interactive and synergistic effects between environmental contaminants and pathogens in the health of wildlife and human communities in Arctic ecosystems. The complexity and magnitude of the documented impacts of climate change on Arctic ecosystems, and the intimacy of connections between their human and wildlife communities, makes this region an appropriate area for development of One Health approaches to identify and mitigate the effects of climate warming at the community, ecosystem, and landscape scales.

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“…Traditionally prepared "country foods" have great cultural significance for Inuit and in general are regarded as safe and nutritious for most people. However, it appears that T. gondii infection is related to the harvest and consumption of "country foods", especially meat and organs, which may be consumed raw (19,25). A correlation between T. gondii seroprevalence and different hunting practices and dietary habits has been debated (26)(27)(28)(29).…”

Section: T Gondii Infection In Canadian Inuitmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxoplasma gondii: How an Amazonian parasite became an Inuit health issue

Reiling¹,

Dixon²

2019

CCDR

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Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that originated in the Amazon. Felids (mammals in the cat family) are the only definitive hosts. These animals shed large numbers of infectious oocysts into the environment, which can subsequently infect many intermediate hosts, including birds, mammals and, possibly, fish. Human T. gondii seroprevalence is high in some parts of the Canadian Arctic and is associated with adverse health consequences among Inuit population. Since the range of felids does not extend to the Arctic, it is not immediately obvious how this parasite got from the Amazon to the Arctic. The objectives of this overview are to summarize the health impacts of T. gondii infection in Inuit in Canada's North and to consider how this infection could have reach them. This article reviews the prevalence of T. gondii infection in terrestrial and marine animals in the Canadian Arctic and discusses their potential role in the foodborne transmission of this parasite to humans. Two distribution factors seem plausible. First, felids in more southern habitats may release infectious oocysts into waterways. As these oocysts remain viable for months, they can be transported northward via rivers and ocean currents and could infect Arctic fish and eventually the marine mammals that prey on the fish. Second, migratory terrestrial and marine intermediate hosts may be responsible for carrying T. gondii tissue cysts to the Arctic, where they may then pass on the infection to carnivores. The most likely source of T. gondii in Inuit is from the consumption of traditionally-prepared country foods including meat and organs from intermediate hosts, which may be consumed raw. With climate change, northward migration of felids may increase the prevalence of T. gondii in Arctic wildlife.

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The Arctic Human Health Initiative: a legacy of the International Polar Year 2007–2009

Cited by 14 publications

References 93 publications

Building upon current knowledge and techniques of indoor microbiology to construct the next era of theory into microorganisms, health, and the built environment

Building upon current knowledge and techniques of indoor microbiology to construct the next era of theory into microorganisms, health, and the built environment

Climate Change in the North American Arctic: A One Health Perspective

Toxoplasma gondii: How an Amazonian parasite became an Inuit health issue

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