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Press releases Saturday 26 November 2005
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(1) SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS CAN ALLEVIATE DEPRESSION
(3) PROBLEM OF EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES LIKELY TO WORSEN
(4) GETTING CLOSE TO NATURE IS GOOD FOR YOU
(5) SNAKE BITES SHOULD NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED, SAY EXPERTS
(6) TIME IS RIGHT
FOR VETS AND DOCTORS TO DEBATE FOOD POLICY
(1) SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS CAN ALLEVIATE DEPRESSION
(Randomised controlled study
of animal facilitated therapy with dolphins in the treatment of depression)
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/331/7527/1231
Swimming with dolphins is an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression, say researchers in this week’s BMJ.
Their findings support the theory of biophilia, which shows how human health and wellbeing are dependent on our relationships with the natural environment.
The study was carried out in Honduras and involved 30 patients diagnosed with mild or moderate depression. Half were assigned to the experimental group and half to the control group.
Over a two-week period, participants in the experimental group swam and snorkelled in the water with dolphins for one hour a day. Participants in the control group were assigned to the same water activities, but in the absence of dolphins, to control for the influence of water and the natural setting.
All participants discontinued antidepressant drugs or psychotherapy at least four weeks before entering the study, and were not allowed to take drugs during the study. Depression scores were measured before the study and at the end of treatment.
Although some participants dropped out of the study, the average severity of the depressive symptoms was more reduced in the experimental group than in the control group.
Animal facilitated therapy with dolphins is more effective than water therapy in treating people with mild to moderate depression, say the authors. Despite some study limitations, the effects exerted by the animals were significantly greater than those of just the natural setting.
The echolocation system, the aesthetic value, and the emotions raised by the interaction with dolphins may explain the mammals’ healing properties, they suggest.
Three months after the study, participants in both groups also reported lasting improvement and did not require treatment. This suggests that in patients with mild or moderate depression, using drugs or conventional psychotherapy may not be necessary when biophilic treatment with animals is used, they conclude.
Contacts:
Michael Reveley, Professor of Psychiatry,
University of Leicester Medical School, Leicester General Hospital, Leicester,
UK
Email: rev@le.ac.uk
or
Dr Christian Antonioli, Tursiops
Society, Torino, Italy
Email: info@tursiopssociety.org
(Pet ownership and human
health )
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/331/7527/1252
(Commentary: Pets - pleaseures
and problems)
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/331/7527/1254
Owning a pet is linked to health and wellbeing, particularly for older people and patients recovering from major illness, say researchers in this week’s BMJ.
About half of households in the United Kingdom own pets and over 90% of pet owners regard their pet as a valued family member.
Research has suggested that pet ownership is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, lower use of family doctor services, and a reduced risk of asthma and allergies in young children.
Although more recent studies have failed to support these findings, research has pointed to less absenteeism from school through sickness among children who live with pets.
Explanations for the association between pet ownership and human health include social benefits and emotional support. Indeed, studies have shown that support from pets may mirror some of the elements of human relationships known to contribute to health.
However, conflict between health and pet ownership can arise, say the authors. For instance, it is thought that up to 70% of pet owners would disregard advice to get rid of a pet because of allergies, while reports abound of older people avoiding medical care through fear of being admitted to hospital or residential care as this often means giving up a pet.
People do not own pets specifically to enhance their health, rather they value the relationship and the contribution their pet makes to their quality of life. Greater understanding among health professionals is therefore needed to assure people that they do not need to choose between pet ownership and compliance with health advice, they conclude.
Contact:
June McNicholas, Psychologist, Croit
Cullach, Dundonnell, Ross-shire, Scotland
Email: june@cullach.fsnet.co.uk
(3) PROBLEM OF EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES LIKELY TO WORSEN
(Editorial: A walk on the
wild side – emerging wildlife diseases)
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/331/7527/1214
Emerging infectious diseases pose a global threat to human and animal health, and the problem is likely to worsen, warns an expert in this week’s BMJ.
The recent emergence of diseases, such as AIDS, SARS and avian flu, have catapulted emerging infectious diseases to the top of the medical and political agendas, and have highlighted the importance of wildlife as reservoirs or vectors for disease, writes Dr Andrew Cunningham.
Of pathogens causing emerging infectious diseases, 75% are zoonotic (able to transmit from animals to humans), with wildlife being an increasingly important source.
But why are we now seeing an apparently rapid increase in the emergence of new zoonoses from wildlife?
One of the major drivers is closer human contact with wildlife, primarily caused by human encroachment into, and modification of, wildlife habitat. For example, Ebola virus outbreaks often are linked to hunting for “bushmeat” or to mining development, and the AIDS pandemic originated from human encroachment into African forests for food.
The rise in international trade and travel is also important. The emergence of West Nile virus in North America, and AIDS and SARS globally, for example, arose from such travel and trade.
This globalisation of people and products is difficult to control and is largely related to increasing air transportation. With world air travel expected to grow at about 5% a year for at least the next 20 years, the problem of emerging infectious diseases will continue to grow, he warns.
Emerging infectious diseases are not only a problem for human health but are a major threat to animal welfare and to species conservation. Some emerging infectious diseases also threaten domesticated species.
Through emerging infectious diseases, therefore, the medical, veterinary, and wildlife conservation professions, share a common agenda. The problem is not small, and tackling it will not be easy, but recognising a common problem is, at least, a start, he concludes.
Contact:
Andrew Cunningham, Reader in Wildlife
Epidemiology, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, UK
Email: a.cunningham@ioz.ac.uk
(4) GETTING CLOSE TO NATURE IS GOOD FOR YOU
(Editorial: Human health
and nature conservation)
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/331/7527/1221
Connecting with nature can improve your health and wellbeing, say researchers in this week’s BMJ. The theory is known as ecotherapy: restoring health through contact with nature.
Use of wildlife in some therapies is reported to improve quality of life, write the authors. Smaller animals (for example, squirrels, owls, and raccoons) have been used successfully in therapies for children with emotional and behavioural problems.
People who take part in conservation projects report subjective health benefits, ascribed to being outdoors and to feeling part of a greater system connecting beyond the individual. Such projects can help overcome social isolation, develop skills, and improve employment prospects, as well as provide the known benefits associated with exercise.
Although initial research has been promising, the UK needs robust health impact assessments of wildlife projects to determine their objective therapeutic value, say the authors.
English Nature has advocated a national strategy to encourage people to reconnect with nature and benefit from proximity to wildlife.
Partnerships between healthcare providers and nature organisations to share and exchange expertise could create new policies that recognise the interdependence between healthy people and healthy ecosystems, they conclude.
Contact:
Ambra Burls, Senior Lecturer in
Mental Health, Institute of Health and Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University,
Chelmsford, Essex, UK
Email: a.burls@apu.ac.uk
(5) SNAKE BITES SHOULD NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED, SAY EXPERTS
(Treatment of bites by adders
and exotic venomous snakes)
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/331/7527/1244
Life threatening snake bites are uncommon in the UK but can happen, especially in children, and should not be underestimated, says an expert in this week’s BMJ.
Antivenom, the only specific antidote is underused in the UK.
As well as bites by the UK’s only indigenous venomous snake, the adder, doctors should also be aware that large numbers of dangerous snakes are kept surreptitiously as macho pets, writes Professor David Warrell. This “underground zoo” reveals itself a few times each year when bitten owners are forced to seek medical help.
Envenoming can evolve over many hours, so patients must be carefully observed in hospital for at least 24 hours after being bitten, he says. Antivenom is effective and safe, but is currently underused in the UK.
Treatment for exotic venomous snake bites may be more challenging than for adder bites, and it may be difficult to establish which species was involved and so obtain the appropriate antivenom, he concludes.
Contact:
David Warrell, Professor of Tropical
Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine,
University of Oxford, UK
Email: david.warrell@ndm.ox.ac.uk
(6) TIME IS RIGHT FOR VETS AND DOCTORS TO DEBATE FOOD POLICY
(Letter: Animal and human
case for reforming current food policies)
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/331/7527/1268
The time is right for vets and doctors to join together to examine the case for radical reform of current food policy, say researchers in this week’s BMJ.
They argue that cheap food, particularly meat, is linked to reduced human health and reduced farm animal welfare, both of which are important matters of public interest that are within the professions’ respective purviews.
The 20th century’s drive to lower food prices has resulted in many hidden costs for consumers, animals, and society, write Caroline Hewson and Tim Lang. Doctors and vets have an important opportunity to guide the public about these costs and to encourage the relevant policymakers to make changes.
Historically, a good public health case existed for reducing the price of foods and vets have helped deliver that policy. Today, vets help farmers control the diseases and other welfare concerns that intensive farming inadvertently promotes. Doctors, in turn, deal both with farmers’ health, as they struggle to remain in business, and with the public’s health, damaged by the modern diet.
There is also considerable cultural pressure to rethink food policy. Many customers now tend to associate good human health with good animal welfare, and the health professions are being asked to encourage a dramatic shift in national diets.
Thus, the time is right for joint veterinary and medical debate about food policy, and even a shared position, they conclude.
Contacts:
Caroline Hewson, Research Chair
in Animal Welfare, Atlantic Veterinary College, Charlottetown, Canada
Email: chewson@upei.ca
or
Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy,
City University, London, UK
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