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Prominent Scientist, Regents’ Professor and Del E. Webb Chair in Health Innovation at Arizona State University Addresses One Health Question in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Interview (USA)   “… It [One Health] is essential. We cant treat human health and public health initiatives in isolation. It requires a more sophisticated approach to reflect the complex inter-dependency of human health and the health of animal and plant populations and the critical importance of the stability and sustainability of ecosystems on infectious disease patterns. Most of the so-called emerging infectious diseases [EIDs] which have affected humans in recent decades are zoonoses, namely, bugs that are present in an animal population and then successfully infect people.  A proficient global public health system therefore requires comprehensive biosurveillance for rapid detection of EIDs and how they are transmitted to people from their animal hosts….”   Please read entire Outstanding Atomic Bulletin interview: http://bos.sagepub.com/content/69/6/1.full with the internationally renowned scientist, Dr. George Poste https://sols.asu.edu/people/george-poste.   The following excerpt includes *Dr. Poste’s enlightened Q & A comments about “One Health” when asked about **Dr. Laura H. Kahn’s well known frequent Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists columns explaining the critical need for society to adopt One Health principles…   “…BAS: Laura Kahn, one of the Bulletins columnists, writes a lot about One Health, which focuses on an approach that goes beyond the health of humans, and includes the health of animals and the ecosystem. Why is this approach necessary now?   Poste: It is essential. We cant treat human health and public health initiatives in isolation. It requires a more sophisticated approach to reflect the complex inter-dependency of human health and the health of animal and plant populations and the critical importance of the stability and sustainability of ecosystems on infectious disease patterns. Most of the so-called emerging infectious diseases [EIDs] which have affected humans in recent decades are zoonoses, namely, bugs that are present in an animal population and then successfully infect people.  A proficient global public health system therefore requires comprehensive biosurveillance for rapid detection of EIDs and how they are transmitted to people from their animal hosts.   BAS: What are recent examples? Poste: HIV/AIDS is the most dramatic recent example of a zoonotic EID.  SARS was a bullet dodged a decade ago.  Let us hope that a near relative of the SARS virus, MERS-CoV [Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus…”   *Dr. Poste is a longstanding One Health Supporter/Advocate http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/supporters.php. **Dr. Kahn is a founding member of the One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono team.   Permission to post on One Health Initiative website granted November 6, 2013 by: Mindy Kay Bricker, EditorBulletin of the Atomic Scientists1155 East 60th StreetChicago, IL 60637 (U.S.A.)T.  202.286.9724E.  mbricker@thebulletin.org www.thebulletin.org & http://bos.sagepub.com/2007 National Magazine Award for General ExcellenceThe Bulletin is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit publishing organization. Online donations to sustain operations are gratefully accepted and tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.