Journal of Bioterrorism & Biodefense
Open Access

One Health, Zoonotic Pathogens, Antimicrobial Resistance, Climate Change, Global Health Security, Infectious Diseases, Biosurveillance, Wildlife Surveillance, Food Safety, Pandemic Preparedness

Introduction

This article highlights the critical need for a One Health approach to track and respond to emerging and re-emerging zoonotic pathogens. It emphasizes that diseases don't respect borders, whether geographic or species-related. Effective biosurveillance demands integrated efforts across human, animal, and environmental health sectors, leveraging shared data and coordinated responses to prevent widespread outbreaks. The focus is on a holistic view to protect public health by monitoring at the source[1].

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant global threat, and this paper underscores it as a prime example of a One Health challenge. What this really means is that resistance doesn't just develop in human medicine; it emerges in animal agriculture and the environment too, then spreads across these domains. Addressing AMR effectively requires integrated strategies that consider drug use in all sectors, surveillance of resistance patterns, and development of new interventions that work universally[2].

This article brings fungi into the One Health conversation, emphasizing their often-overlooked role as a 'third pillar' alongside bacteria and viruses in impacting human, animal, and plant health. Many fungal pathogens can affect multiple hosts, driving biothreats from crop diseases to invasive mycoses in humans and animals. Understanding and mitigating these fungal threats demands an integrated One Health approach, fostering cross-disciplinary research and surveillance efforts[3].

Here's the thing, emerging infectious diseases often arise at the interface of humans, animals, and their shared environment. This paper makes a compelling case for the One Health approach as the most effective strategy for tackling these complex diseases. It explores how environmental changes, human encroachment, and animal interactions contribute to disease emergence and recommends integrated surveillance, risk assessment, and response mechanisms to manage these threats[4].

Achieving global health security isn't just about healthcare systems; it's deeply intertwined with the health of animals and our environment. This systematic review establishes the One Health approach as fundamental to achieving that security, particularly in preventing and controlling zoonotic disease outbreaks. It highlights that collaborative, cross-sectoral efforts are not merely beneficial, but essential for building resilient health systems capable of responding to complex global biothreats[5].

Let's break it down: climate change isn't just about rising temperatures; it's a major driver of infectious disease emergence and spread. This article frames climate change as a critical One Health issue, explaining how altered ecological conditions, shifted vector ranges, and changes in host immunity influence disease dynamics in humans, animals, and plants. It argues that mitigating climate-related infectious disease risks requires a deeply integrated, transdisciplinary One Health response[6].

Food safety is absolutely a One Health issue, extending far beyond the plate. This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges of applying the One Health framework to food safety. It highlights how pathogens, toxins, and contaminants can move through food systems, affecting animal health, environmental health, and ultimately human health. Effective food safety management, it argues, needs a holistic perspective that integrates surveillance, risk assessment, and intervention strategies across all sectors[7].

What this really means is that wildlife are often sentinels for emerging diseases that can impact humans and domestic animals. This review focuses on the One Health approach for wildlife disease surveillance, outlining current practices and challenges. It underscores the importance of monitoring wildlife populations for early detection of pathogens and understanding spillover events, emphasizing collaboration between veterinarians, ecologists, public health officials, and local communities to protect all health[8].

Preventing zoonotic spillover—when diseases jump from animals to humans—is a cornerstone of biothreat reduction. This paper details how the One Health approach is absolutely crucial for this prevention. It identifies key considerations like habitat loss, wildlife trade, and agricultural practices as drivers of spillover risk. The emphasis is on proactive, interdisciplinary efforts to manage these interfaces and reduce the chances of novel pathogens emerging and threatening human populations[9].

This systematic review looks at how One Health can improve our readiness and response to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and zoonoses. It consolidates evidence showing that integrated surveillance systems, joint risk assessments, and coordinated intervention strategies across human, animal, and environmental health sectors lead to more effective pandemic preparedness. It makes a strong case for embedding One Health principles into national and global health security frameworks[10].

Description

The One Health approach is critical for tracking and responding to emerging and re-emerging zoonotic pathogens, recognizing that diseases do not respect borders, whether geographic or species-related [1]. This integrated perspective demands collaborative efforts across human, animal, and environmental health sectors, utilizing shared data and coordinated responses to prevent widespread outbreaks by monitoring disease origins. Here's the thing, emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) frequently arise at the intersection of humans, animals, and their shared environment [4]. This makes the One Health approach the most effective strategy for tackling these complex diseases, exploring how environmental changes, human encroachment, and animal interactions contribute to disease emergence. It recommends integrated surveillance, risk assessment, and response mechanisms to manage these threats.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) poses a significant global threat, and this is a prime example of a One Health challenge [2]. What this really means is that resistance doesn't just develop in human medicine; it also emerges in animal agriculture and the environment, subsequently spreading across these domains. Addressing AMR effectively requires integrated strategies considering drug use across all sectors, surveillance of resistance patterns, and the development of universally effective new interventions. This article also brings fungi into the One Health conversation, emphasizing their often-overlooked role as a 'third pillar' alongside bacteria and viruses in impacting human, animal, and plant health [3]. Many fungal pathogens can affect multiple hosts, driving biothreats from crop diseases to invasive mycoses in humans and animals, demanding integrated One Health research and surveillance.

Achieving global health security isn't just about healthcare systems; it's deeply intertwined with the health of animals and our environment [5]. The One Health approach is fundamental to achieving this security, particularly in preventing and controlling zoonotic disease outbreaks. It highlights that collaborative, cross-sectoral efforts are not merely beneficial, but essential for building resilient health systems capable of responding to complex global biothreats. Let's break it down: climate change isn't just about rising temperatures; it's a major driver of infectious disease emergence and spread [6]. This article frames climate change as a critical One Health issue, explaining how altered ecological conditions, shifted vector ranges, and changes in host immunity influence disease dynamics in humans, animals, and plants. Mitigating climate-related infectious disease risks requires a deeply integrated, transdisciplinary One Health response.

Food safety is absolutely a One Health issue, extending far beyond the plate [7]. This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges of applying the One Health framework to food safety. It highlights how pathogens, toxins, and contaminants can move through food systems, affecting animal health, environmental health, and ultimately human health. Effective food safety management needs a holistic perspective that integrates surveillance, risk assessment, and intervention strategies across all sectors. What this really means is that wildlife are often sentinels for emerging diseases that can impact humans and domestic animals [8]. This review focuses on the One Health approach for wildlife disease surveillance, outlining current practices and challenges. It underscores the importance of monitoring wildlife populations for early detection of pathogens and understanding spillover events, emphasizing collaboration among veterinarians, ecologists, public health officials, and local communities to protect all health.

Preventing zoonotic spillover—when diseases jump from animals to humans—is a cornerstone of biothreat reduction [9]. This paper details how the One Health approach is absolutely crucial for this prevention. It identifies key considerations like habitat loss, wildlife trade, and agricultural practices as drivers of spillover risk. The emphasis is on proactive, interdisciplinary efforts to manage these interfaces and reduce the chances of novel pathogens emerging and threatening human populations. This systematic review looks at how One Health can improve our readiness and response to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and zoonoses [10]. It consolidates evidence showing that integrated surveillance systems, joint risk assessments, and coordinated intervention strategies across human, animal, and environmental health sectors lead to more effective pandemic preparedness, strongly advocating for embedding One Health principles into national and global health security frameworks.

Conclusion

The One Health approach is critically needed to track and respond to emerging zoonotic pathogens, recognizing that diseases transcend geographic and species borders. Effective biosurveillance demands integrated efforts across human, animal, and environmental health sectors, leveraging shared data and coordinated responses to prevent widespread outbreaks by monitoring at the source. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a prime example of a global One Health challenge, as resistance develops and spreads across human medicine, animal agriculture, and the environment. Addressing AMR effectively requires integrated strategies for drug use, surveillance of resistance patterns, and new interventions universally. Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs) often arise at the human-animal-environment interface, making One Health the most effective strategy for tackling these complex diseases. Environmental changes, human encroachment, and animal interactions all contribute to disease emergence, necessitating integrated surveillance and risk assessment. Achieving global health security is deeply intertwined with the health of animals and our environment, with One Health being fundamental for preventing and controlling zoonotic disease outbreaks. Collaborative, cross-sectoral efforts are essential for building resilient health systems capable of responding to complex biothreats. Climate change also stands as a critical One Health issue, driving infectious disease emergence and spread through altered ecological conditions and shifted vector ranges, requiring deeply integrated responses. Preventing zoonotic spillover is a cornerstone of biothreat reduction, demanding proactive, interdisciplinary efforts to manage interfaces like habitat loss and wildlife trade. This holistic perspective is key for pandemic preparedness and robust health security.

References

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