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“A One Health Approach to Preventing the Next Pandemic.” Issues in Science and Technology (May 6, 2020)

 BY LAURA H. KAHN Read complete article at https://issues.org/one-health-approach-preventing-pandemic/

 “... Human health is tied to the health of animals and the environment. This means society will need to recognize the inextricable links between human, animal, and environmental health, and it will require sharper examination of humans’ relationship with and consumption of domesticated and wild animals in order to reduce zoonotic disease risks. The One Health Initiative focuses on these goals. ... The One Health model provides a strategy. Researchers must examine the human, animal, and environmental components of zoonotic spillover events before they can effectively address them. ...  In essence, a One Health approach focuses on the upstream drivers of potential zoonotic diseases to prevent spillover events from occurring. It includes microbial surveillance of animals and vaccines for domesticated animals to reduce their risk of acquiring diseases from wildlife. It includes efforts to reduce deforestation and other human activities that are destroying wildlife habitats. Reducing human contact with wildlife reduces opportunities for microbial transmission. ...”

 Dr. Laura H. Kahn is a physician and research scholar with the Program on Science and Global Security, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University. She is a cofounder of the One Health Initiative and is the author of One Health and the Politics of Antimicrobial Resistance.