November 14, 2022 | Council for Agricultural Science and Technology—Ames, Iowa

The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology’s (CAST) new paper, Zoonotic Diseases in Animal Agriculture and Beyond: A One Health Perspective, is now available for free download.

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.

The special publication, Zoonotic Diseases in Animal Agriculture and Beyond: A One Health Perspective, is available to download on CAST’s website. The free webinar will take place at noon Central on Thursday, November 17. Dr. Lonnie J. King, dean emeritus of The Ohio State University, and a panel of the paper’s authors will share highlights of the publication, followed by a Q&A session. Register for the webinar here.

Task Force Members

• Lonnie King (Chair), College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University
• Tavis K. Anderson, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
• Casey Barton Behravesh, One Health Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Laura E. Binkley, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University
• Bernadette Dunham, Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University
• Tracey Dutcher, USDA-APHIS Office of Science
• John L. Gittleman, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia
• Wondwossen A. Gebreyes, Global One Health initiative (GOHi), The Ohio State University
• Laura H. Kahn, Physician and Co-Founder, One Health Initiative
• Megin Nichols, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Joan B. Rose, Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University
• Johanna S. Salzer, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Sean Stapleton, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Patrick R. Stephens, Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University
• Erica Spackman, U.S. National Poultry Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
• David E. Swayne, Exotic and Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research Unit, U.S. National Poultry Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
• Amy L. Vincent Baker, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA

Contact Information

Kent Schescke | CAST EVP & CEO

(515) 292-2125 | kschescke@cast-science.org

About CAST

CAST is an international consortium of scientific and professional societies, universities, companies, nonprofits, libraries, and individuals. CAST convenes and coordinates networks of experts to assemble, interpret, and communicate credible, unbiased, science-based information to policymakers, the media, the private sector, and the public.

www.cast-science.org