One Health brings together experts and thinking in biomedicine and health, but goes much further to include animal, environmental, climate sciences, social and behavioral sciences, agriculture, business, engineering, and many more fields. Zoonotic diseases are diseases of animals that infect humans and continue to afflict humanity and animal health and welfare. Some examples of zoonotic diseases that can be amplified by livestock and poultry include Avian influenza, Nipah virus, and salmonellas. Most recently, coronaviruses have caused the SARS, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and COVID-19 pandemics.
Because zoonoses emerge from the dynamic confluence of people, animals and their products, environment, agriculture, wildlife, vectors, food, water, antimicrobial use, and changing ecosystems, experts and organizations must rethink and reimagine ways to integrate and coordinate their actions. These include adopting system thinking, committing new investments in prevention, improving public and animal health infrastructures and associated surveillance systems globally, expanding human capacity and skills, and merging communities and resources across the domains of One Health.
Dr. Larry Brilliant, physician and epidemiologist, stated that outbreaks are inevitable, but pandemics are optional. The difference lies with appropriate and effective actions that must be planned and implemented across the interdependent domains of One Health. This publication concludes with recommendations and potential actions to prevent the next zoonotic disease pandemic.
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