ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar
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Water, conflicts and refugees

By Adriano A. Bordalo e Sá, ICBAS and Joana Savva Bordalo e Sá, IPO-Porto

PORTO – Of all human rights, access to water is one of the most recent. It was declared by the UN General Assembly only in 2010. However, billions of people consume unsafe water worldwide, which causes diseases and eventually kills. Unfortunately, more than half a million children die from diarrhea due to the consumption of unsafe water every year.

During conflicts and war, life gets worse. The recent invasion of the Gaza strip, is yet another painful example alongside the conflicts in Eastern Europe, Yemen, Burma, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, D. R. Congo, among others. Without water there is no rehydration, no hygiene, no health. In malnourished Palestine, infectious diseases are spreading and in Yemen, the cholera epidemic – a waterborne disease – has remained uncontrolled since 2016, having affected nearly 3 million people, especially children.

In the middle of last year, there were 110 million displaced people worldwide, of which a third were refugees, something never seen before. If in the rich parts of Algarve or California every person uses 1,000 liters of water per day (120 in Portugal), the refugees, at most, have 5 liters (half a bucket) available, often filthy, making their lives even more miserable, compromising future generations.

Image – Adriano A. Bordalo e Sá at the ‘One Health Talk’ held at ICBAS on November 23, 2023 Credits: Sofia A. Costa Lima.

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One Health Talks

To face the challenge of discussing One Health in less than 60 minutes, we continued the 1st cycle of monthly ICBAS talks on January 18.

In the fourth session, António Araújo, guest Full Professor and Director of the Integrated Masters in Medicine at ICBAS, invites Joana Simões, Medical Oncology Assistant at the Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Santo António, to discuss the topic ‘The impact of hormones on the development of cancer', within the scope of the One Health.

The event will take place from 1pm-1.50pm in monobloc 4 of ICBAS.

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ICBAS leads a One Health project for the safe use of antimicrobials

The USAM SULEI project will invest more than 850 thousand euros in promoting the safe use of antimicrobials in the production of pigs and bovine milk.

Monitoring, raising awareness, and providing information on good practices associated with the safe use of antimicrobials in the production of pigs and bovine milk is the aim of the USAM SULEI project, led by the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS) of the University of Porto, and co-financed by the European Union through the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).

For the project's main researcher and ICBAS professor, João Niza Ribeiro, "the funding received –more than 850 thousand euros – will allow the development and implementation of an integrated online system (web platform) to support decision-making in the use of antimicrobials, aimed at veterinarians and producers, with the objective of sustainably reducing the consumption of antibiotics on pig farms and in dairy farming”.

Read the full text here.

Source: Notícias UP; Image: Amber Kipp via unsplash.

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Pollution in the Douro estuary. Researchers warn of “pitiful” condition.

There are boats on the Douro River that are making illegal discharges and there is no one controlling them. They are identified as one of the causes of river pollution.

But for environmentalists and researchers, this is just one of many problems. There are 22 thousand houses or commercial spaces with direct or indirect sewage to the Douro estuary.

See the full report here.

Source: RTP Notícias; Image: Quentin Marquet, Pixabay.

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Expo One Health opened the doors of ICBAS to the city of Porto

Almost 500 participants visited the Expo One Health organized by ICBAS-UP, between the 2nd and 4th of November.

For the third consecutive year, the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS) of the University of Porto celebrated the International One Health, now in the format of a three days exhibition dedicated to hands-on demonstration of the practical applicability of the concept, which assumes the interconnection between environmental, animal and human health. The Expo One Health brought together companies, foundations, associations and NGOs, in addition to U.Porto research units, as well as the five ICBAS teaching areas linked to environmental health, animal health, human health, biochemistry and bioengineering. The event included lectures on the topic, including that of the president of the Porto City Council, who defended the adoption of the “ One Health concept not only as a scientific approach, but also as a political approach to the climate emergency we are experiencing”.

Read the full text here.

Source: Notícias UP; Image: ICBAS

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Events

Expo One Health

This year the Porto One Health Day is celebrated at ICBAS on 2, 3 and 4 November.

Visitors will be able to perform practical activities and interact with specialists from various areas of health (Environment, Medicine, and Veterinary, among others). 

In addition to the 25 stands, the Expo One Health will also feature sessions that aim to expose the One Health approach from different points of view.

The event is for the whole family and entry is free. Access to ICBAS (floor 4) can be via the main entrance – Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228 – or via Rua Dom Manuel II (4050-313 Porto).

Read the news about the event here.

Schedule Expo One Health: 2 and 3 November from 12 pm to 6 pm; 4 November from 11 am to 7 pm.

Lecture program:

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ICBAS Summer School brought together several areas around One Health

The 1st edition of the joint course between ICBAS, FCUP, i3S and CIBIO took place between July and September, with 10 participants from different areas.

The 1Health1Welfare summer school finished, promoted by the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar of the University of Porto (ICBAS), in partnership with the Faculty of Sciences (FCUP), the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) and the Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO) of the University of Porto.

The first edition of the school was attended by 10 students and researchers from different areas and sought to promote the One Health concept through a strong focus on the laboratory aspect aimed at protecting human and animal health and well-being.

Read the full text here.

Source: Notícias UP; Image: ICBAS

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Cyanobacteria and their impacts on the ecosystem

By Ivo Pinto, PhD Student at ICBAS | CIIMAR, UMIB

PORTO – The degradation of freshwater bodies is a constant and increasingly relevant concern. The effects of climate change (increase in average annual temperature and extreme drought events) together with poor land use practices (improper discharges, intensive agriculture, among others) lead to the eutrophication of these water masses and create imbalances in the ecosystem.

In eutrophic surface waters, cyanobacteria can produce a variety of toxic metabolites that have numerous impacts on the ecosystem (resilience and integrity of the food chain) as well as on ecosystem services (recreational activities and drinking water).

Hepatotoxins one of the toxin groups produced by these organisms, target the liver and are responsible for the destruction of the internal structure, potentially leading to intrahepatic haemorrhage, hypovolemic shock, and death. Another group of toxins produced by cyanobacteria, the neurotoxins, work by interrupting the normal propagation of nerve stimulation to muscles, resulting in muscle paralysis and possible death from respiratory failure. Also produced by cyanobacteria, dermatoxins act through simple contact with the skin or body mucous membranes, resulting in an allergic reaction.

The increasing presence of these toxins in the environment is a cause for concern as they affect human, animal welfare and biodiversity. Moreover, because these toxins can bioaccumulate, they can be bioamplified throughout the food chain, potentially reaching humans who consume animals carrying toxins. This might represent a risk for food safety.

As a roadmap for the application of the One Health approach to the ecosystem in order to prevent potential risks, surveillance and sharing of information about these toxins are essential to ensure an early detection and the adoption of preventive procedures. Ultimately, this integrated strategy will ensure the sustainable use and management of the water bodies, as well as the surrounding area, protecting the human, animal and environmental health.

Image - Cyanobacteria green scum in a Portuguese temperate reservoir. Credits: Ivo Pinto

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There is a dog at ICBAS who will help with students' mental health

A joint initiative between the Student Support Office and the veterinarian at ICBAS Luísa Guardão was presented at the reception ceremony for new students.

Starting this academic year, students at the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar of the University of Porto (ICBAS-UP) will be able to participate in sessions assisted by a certified dog. The novelty is the result of a partnership between the Student Support Office and the veterinarian Luísa Guardão, with the aim of making a difference in the prevention of students' mental health and well-being.

On the other side of the Student Support Office door, ICBAS students can find, this academic year, not only one of the service's psychologists, but also the dog “Lola” – recently certified to carry out animal-assisted interventions by ÂNIMAS, together with the veterinarian Luísa Guardão -, with whom you can contact in previously scheduled sessions.

Read the full text here.

Source: Notícias UP; Image: NVSTUDIO

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There are more cruises on the Douro but not all of them treat water

Guardianship guarantees its own residual station on Portuguese hotel ships, but not on foreign ones. Captaincy issued five notices. Waste collected by tanker trucks is dumped into the sewer system.

In the first half of this year alone, there were 11,322 trips on the Douro River, including hotel ships, day cruises or pleasure boats. There are 132 more than registered last year. And, although the Ministry of Economy and the Sea guarantees, to JN, that “hotel ships flying the Portuguese flag all have their own wastewater or sewage treatment system”, the same cannot be said about foreign cruises operating in the Douro. António Costa Silva's office says that they are certified "as local auxiliary vessels", but the "construction process does not pass through Portugal", not ensuring that they have a similar system.

Read the full text here.

Source: Jornal de Notícias / Image Credits: Pedro Correia – Arquivo Global Imagens

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