This document outlines a One Health and conservation strategy with four main objectives: disease prevention, routine health monitoring, rapid response to outbreaks, and disease diagnosis and investigation. The strategy includes hygiene and health rules, potential great ape vaccinations, and a standard employee health program. Routine monitoring involves collecting and analyzing biological samples and health data. Emergency response involves rapid diagnosis, treatment, and research of outbreaks. The impact has been early detection of diseases like Ebola, improved human and wildlife health, and reduced threats to great apes.

1. One Health and
Conservation Strategies
1
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2. WWF „Green Heart of Africa“ Projects
WWF
Projects
WWF-
Main Offices
Tri-Nationale de la Sangha
Lac Tumba Landscape
Salonga
Landscape
Campo Ma‘an NP
Eco-Health

3. Köndgen et al. 2008
Also Tranquilli et al. 2014
Positive Presence
through Tourism & Research
as most effective Conservation Strategy

4. Health Monitoring Program:
Four main objectives
I
Disease
Prevention:
Improved Human
Health &
Reduced Risk of
(Inter-species)
Disease
Transmission
III
Rapid
Response:
to Disease
Outbreaks &
Veterinary
Emergencies or
Interventions
II
Routine Health
Monitoring:
Regular
Collection of
Samples &
Observational
Health Data
IV
Diagnosis and
Investigation:
of Disease Outbreaks
and Wildlife Fatalities
& Disease and
Pathogen Research

5.  Hygiene Rules
 Health Rules
 Potentially: Vaccination of
great apes
DISEASE
PREVENTION
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6.  Health status baseline at time of hire
and annual physical exams
 Ongoing surveillance & response
 Routine Vaccination, deworming
 Extension of EHP to family members
 Health & Hygiene Education
Standard Employee Health Programme (EHP)
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© Herbinger/WWF

7. Routine
Health Monitoring
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8. Two Main Components:
I Regular collection & preservation of biological samples
+ Feces
+ Urine
+ Throat swabs from human project staff and visitors
+ Minimally invasive samples from animal carcasses
II Regular observations & recording
of observational health data
+ Presence / Absence of disease symptoms, injuries, abnormalities
(coughing, nasal discharge, diarrhea..)
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© Metzger/TCP

9. Emergency
Intervention
&
Diagnosis and
Investigation
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10. Diagnosis and Investigation
+ Disease outbreaks and death: Necropsy/Tissue sampling by full
trained and equipped veterinarian
+ Rapid and On-site Laboratory Analysis of samples allows the
detection & diagnosis of many pathogens (Ebola, Anthrax,
Respiratory viruses,…)
• Portable Field Labs established since 2012 equiped for:
- sample processing
- DNA/RNA extraction
- standard PCR
- basic parasitology including microscopy
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11.  Treatments during respiratory outbreaks
 Studied prevalence of pathogens in environment
 Sensitized local population to prevent disease
transmission and provided alert to health authorities
 Vaccination Campaigns against Measals & Anthrax
 Need for Rapid Diagnosis & Treatment & Research on:
oral vaccines, effectiveness of hygiene measures, anthropogenic
impacts on disease dynamics, landscape changes…
Outbreak Intervention & Investigation
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12. IMPACT:
 Early warning system for
deadly infectious diseases
such as Ebola.
 Improved health and
hygiene status in local
population.
 Main threat to the survival
of great apes is significantly
reduced.
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© Dehling/WWF

13. Wear mask
Be healthy and
vaccinated
Collect & monitor
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