Examining Atopic Dermatitis Through the One Health Concept Lens

This paper explores the application of the One Health framework to atopic dermatitis (AD), a complex, chronic skin disease, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to prevention and management. One Health integrates human, animal, environmental, and plant health, addressing challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, infectious diseases, and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). In the context of AD, One Health principles are applied to explore etiological factors like urbanization, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution. Key findings include the interplay between lifestyle and environmental exposures, as evidenced by studies on human-dog microbiota sharing, which reveal that rural environments confer protective effects against allergic conditions for both species. Historical observations of the “old farm effect” highlight the protective role of traditional rural living, including raw milk consumption, in preventing atopic diseases. However, modern urbanization and industrial farming have eroded these benefits. Climate change intensifies AD symptoms through extreme weather, proliferation of more and higher allergenic pollen, likely also of house dust mites, allergen proliferation, and pollution. Rising CO₂ levels exacerbate pollen allergenicity, prolong pollen seasons, and amplify allergic responses. The skin's microbiome and immune barrier are sensitive to pollutants like black carbon and traffic-related emissions, further influencing AD prevalence and severity. Innovative approaches to prevention, such as veterinary vaccination strategies targeting allergens or immunopathological key cytokines, illustrate cross-species solutions. Web data mining demonstrates potential for analyzing public interest and seasonal trends in AD, correlating search data with real-time monitored environmental factors and highlighting gaps in awareness and access to modern treatments. This integrative One Health lens provides a framework for reimagining AD prevention and management, emphasizing a return to environmental and lifestyle diversity, climate action, and leveraging digital and biomedical tools for personalized, sustainable care.