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Maine Physician Public Health Consultant Strongly Endorses One Health - June 7, 2011

 

“The “One Health” initiative, with its goal of improving animal and human health globally is long overdue.  The increasing cadence of emerging infections and the complex inter-relationships that exist between humans, wildlife and the environment demands the simultaneous study of disease in humans and animals.  Without collaboration amongst all health sciences, including human medicine, veterinary medicine, environmental health, wildlife health and public health specialists, we will be unable to meet new global disease challenges.    Building on a common pool of knowledge will enhance integrated surveillance efforts which will translate in a reduction in time needed for the detection of novel or emerging disease threats.  A multidisciplinary strategy will help prevent, control and where possible, eliminate infectious diseases within a larger ecological context that includes humans, animals and plants which interact in a complex, but ever changing natural environment.”

 

 

Kathleen F. Gensheimer, MD, MPH, FIDSA

Yarmouth, Maine (USA)

 

Note: Dr. Gensheimer is currently a public health consultant on infectious diseases in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is an active representative of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).  Prior to this, she was director of medical and scientific affairs at Sanofi Pasteur Biologics in Cambridge, 2009-2010.  Dr. Gensheimer served as state epidemiologist for the Maine Center for Disease Control, Department of Health and Human Services from 1981- 2009.