Overview of One Health: People, Animals, and the Environment

New, emerging infectious diseases are arising at an alarming frequency. To thwart this public health problem, we need to understand where emerging diseases come from and why. The answer is surprisingly simple - most new human diseases are transmitted from animals, often following disruption of the environment. Although the health of humans, animals, and the environment are inextricably interconnected, practices in human and veterinary medicine and environmental impact rarely recognize these linkages. The "One Health" initiative integrates these three disciplines to develop upstream approaches to prevent disease. Several examples will be presented that demonstrate how implementation of One Health principles can prevent the spread of infectious diseases.