**4. Zoonotic origin of** *COVID-19*

The preliminary investigations in China that followed the onset of the pandemic revealed that bats and exotic animals at a popular market are the initial sources of the organisms [82, 83]. It was also hypothesized that the humans that initially came into contact with the animals may have triggered the pandemic [84]. The coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that has been found to be common among animals and wildlife, including bats [82]. The initial strains of the virus were genomically correlated with that of bats. This implies that the virus may have originated from bats, although the exact transmission to animals remains relatively unknown [84]. The extensive zoonotic origin of these types of viruses heightens the risk of their transfer from the wildlife to the human population [85]. The growing urbanization, anthropogenic pressure and climate change encroaches the original wildlife, resulting in the spillover of the viruses as the animals migrate to areas inhabited by humans [86].

### **5. The imperative of one health surveillance**

The initial transfer pattern of the virus from animals and wild life to the environment and humans confirms that the One Health approach can be applied to tackle the spread of the diseases, in view of the outright failure or limited success achieved with other preliminary methods deployed to control the transmission of the disease [81, 87]. Animals serve as the reservoir of the virus from where they can be shed into the environment. Such animals, usually in wildlife, frequently come into contact with humans and they transmit the virus in the process. Furthermore, humans can serve as conduit to transfer to other humans and this scenario is particularly problematic in the case of the SARS-CoV-2 [88]. In addition, humans can also transmit the virus asymptomatically to other humans and the environment [89]. The virus has been found on surfaces, foods and sewages [90].

There is a strong consensus in the global scientific arena that the One Health concept provides a stronger approach to tackle the spread of infectious diseases including those caused by zoonotic viruses. In response, different international organizations have put up strong statements in support of the One Health approach to tackle the current surge of infectious diseases. They further encourage different countries to prioritize this concept and come up with policies to tackle the spread of infectious diseases, which can be extended to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

In major effort to solidify the One Health footprint on global public health, three major international organizations, namely the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the Organization for Animal Health (OIE) produced a joint and strategic framework aimed at reducing infectious

diseases at the animal-humans-ecosystem interface. With strong link of the coronavirus with wild life and the environment, viral diseases of zoonotic origins also fall with the scope of infectious diseases that can be tackled through the One-Health policy [91].

Several countries have since keyed into the strategic initiatives and have recognized it as an important approach to tackle the surge of emerging infectious diseases, including the current COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, the African Center for Disease Control has incorporated it into its public health programmes in the continent [29]. The European Union (EU) have since produced its own One Health action plan to tackle different public health problems most especially antibiotic resistance and zoonoses [92]. Similarly, the Asia continent has the One Health Tripartite frame work the comprises of the Asia region of the WHO, FAO and OIE to give full attention to One Heal issues with a view to tackle public health challenges that most especially antibiotic resistance and zoonoses [93].

However, it appears there is no standard approach for tackling COVID-19 as a means to prevent further spread of the pandemic. This can be viewed from the fact that the pandemic is relatively new and it may take some time to design One health policies that will specifically suit the pandemic. One of the key peculiarities of the current pandemic is the easy spread of the COVID-19, compared with the other public health threats that are currently being addressed by One Health. Also, the massive mortality and morbidity of the current pandemic is another peculiarity for which custom made One Health policies should be designed to tackle the current pandemic. Generally, the One Health approach recognizes that scientific expertise should be drawn from disciplines, most especially, medicine, veterinary science and environmental science in order to public health threats including the current COVID-19.

#### **6. Surveillance for infectious diseases**

The surveillance for infectious diseases is a very crucial epidemiological tool that serves different purposes in public health. More specifically, infectious diseases surveillance can be used to determine the current prevalence of infectious diseases at a given time. It also assists in the monitoring of changes in infectious diseases trend over time. It helps to determine or reveal risks of emergence of infectious diseases and how such risks can be mitigated. More importantly, infectious diseases surveillance allows targeted policies for prevention and control of infectious diseases within particular groups within a population [94].

Within the COVID-19 pandemic, the extensive surveillance capacities and protocols developed over the years have assisted in tracking the spread of the pandemic and helped to determine the massive threat it has posed in terms of morbidity and mortality [95, 96]. The massive surveillance efforts put forward, most especially by developed countries and China has enhanced targeted policies to tackle the spread of the disease and treatment. For instance, the United Kingdom recently announced massive vaccinations for the entire country. China was able to track sporadic emergence of the diseases and targeted quarantine followed such efforts. In contrast, African countries seem to have limited capacities for surveillance of infectious diseases and this may partly explain the low prevalence of the diseases in Africa.

## **7. One health surveillance**

The paradigm of surveillance for the COVID-19 pandemic within the one health concept is somewhat different. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of one health,

*Tackling COVID-19 through the One Health Approach DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99677*

surveillance efforts and policies should be designed to encompass human health or population, animal health and the ecosystem. In fact, this surveillance approach has been recognized as a crucial component of One Health and this integrated approach can be used to track emerging and re-emerging diseases. Surveillance efforts targeted at animals and wild life has revealed that coronaviruses, including the SARS-CoV-2 constitute part of the flora of such animals. Although the immediate animal to human transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 could not be established, direct human to human transmission has been established and this has been attributed to the vast majority of the transmission of the virus. The virus has also been found in solid household waste, sewage and hospital droplets and these carry the risk of transmitting the virus to susceptible individuals [97].
