One Health in action: The transmission of human-associated pathogens to urban adapted wildlife
This joint seminar hosted by the Institute of Parasitology and the MCID welcomed Professor Michelle Power from Macquarie University for an engaging presentation on infectious disease ecology at the wildlife–human interface. Introduced by Prof. Dr. Britta Lundström and Prof. Dr. Carmen Faso, Prof. Power highlighted the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of her research program, which integrates wildlife biology, microbiology, parasitology, and public health within a One Health framework. Drawing on work conducted across Australia, she discussed how urbanisation, wildlife rehabilitation, conservation management, and environmental contamination shape interactions between hosts and pathogens.
A major focus of the seminar was antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in wildlife. Using examples from koalas, flying foxes, wallabies, and other species, Prof. Power demonstrated how resistance genes and multidrug-resistant bacteria are increasingly detected in wildlife microbiomes, particularly in animals exposed to human-associated environments. Her research on class 1 integrons, mobile genetic elements linked to anthropogenic pollution, revealed evidence consistent with reverse zoonotic transmission, where human-associated bacteria and resistance determinants enter wildlife populations through environmental pathways. These findings raise important questions about persistence, fitness costs, and the long-term ecological consequences of AMR dissemination in wild animal populations.
The second part of the seminar explored wildlife parasitology and the evolutionary dynamics of host–pathogen interactions. Prof. Power presented work on the remarkable diversity of Cryptosporidium in Australian bats, including findings suggestive of spillover of human-associated species into marsupials and other wildlife. She also discussed ongoing studies in marine mammals, including Australian sea lions, where apicomplexan parasites related to Neospora may contribute to emerging disease processes. Additional work on monotremes such as echidnas and platypus highlighted unusual systemic Eimeria infections that may be linked to neurological disease, offering new perspectives on parasite evolution in some of the world’s most ancient mammalian lineages.
Throughout the seminar, recurring themes of environmental connectivity, host switching, biodiversity conservation, and public health underscored the importance of fully integrating wildlife into One Health research and policy. The presentation sparked lively discussion among attendees on topics ranging from pathogen persistence and environmental transmission to citizen science and wildlife rehabilitation practices. Overall, the seminar provided a compelling overview of how studies at the wildlife–human interface can deepen our understanding of infectious disease emergence while informing both conservation and global health strategies.
