Gerardi, Federica (2017) New applications for the One Health: Healthcare Zooanthropology and the Federico II Model of Zootherapy. [Tesi di dottorato]

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The adoption of One Health, the historic resolution that ensued from the understanding between the American Medical Association and the American Veterinary Association in 2007, defined and promoted the concept of One Health as "the combined effort of multiple professional disciplines to achieve optimal health of humans, animals and the environment". Despite One Health was at first aimed at infectious diseases, over time it has inevitably permeated other areas, emphasizing how different health issues should be addressed through a holistic approach which looks at the overall health through the development and application of advanced and multidisciplinary for the benefit of humans, domestic animals and biodiversity. As a result of the need to evaluate the person in its complexity, in the context of human and veterinary medicine, there has been a growing interest in integrated approaches whose aim is prevention, diagnosis and treatment of certain diseases. More specifically, the need to develop new policy approaches that can also act upon environmental, psychosocial and lifestyle factors has led to the creation of Healthcare Zooanthropology, understood as the study, administration and application of the relationship between humans and animals in contexts that are both healthcare/therapeutic and didactic which can be an effective resource for health promotion. In this specific context, the Doctor in Veterinary Medicine casts his figure in the social dimension as the bridge of the interspecific relationship and as the synthesis of its expression by serving as the professional guarantor for the safeguard and the promotion of health and welfare of humans and animals alike through the development of specific health and therapeutic protocols that are applicable within specific Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAIs). This dissertation has two main objectives. The first is to apply the Federico II Model of Zootherapy whose multidisciplinary team is entrusted with activating a communication system and an interspecific relationship that has the dog co-therapist as its focus. The second objective is to verify the data pertaining to the effects of three different possibilities of application of the above mentioned Model. To do so, the analyses of psychological and biochemical parameters were conducted on the humans whereas the behavioural and health parameters were tested on the animal involved. The experimental application of the Model was carried out in three different contexts connected to ageing. More specifically: 1) Evaluation of the efficacy of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) based on the reality orientation therapy (ROT) in Alzheimer’s disease patients via analysis of psychological parameters: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and 5-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). 2) Zootherapy as an wellness-promoting intervention in patients affected with Dementia and depression via salivary cortisol measurement in the Veterinary Zootherapist, co-therapist dogs and in the patient(s). 3) One project in health prevention and well-being promotion in older healthy individuals by enhancing the symbolic value of the dog and through the measurement of salivary cortisol in the Veterinary Zootherapist and in the elderly. Moreover, in line with the One Health policies and as planned for by the specific health-related protocols fostered by the Federico II Model, three different investigations were conducted so as to correctly analyse, evaluate and prevent zoonosic risk in dogs that were involved in the AAIs settings: 1) Epidemiological survey of Pasteurella multocida from oral cavity of dogs. 2) Epidemiological survey of Thermotolerant Campylobacter in dogs at Dog Educational Centres. 3) Parasitic infections in dogs involved in Animal Assisted Interventions.

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