CDC’s One Health Office: What We Do
CDC’s One Health experts are working globally to implement a One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization process that builds collaboration across disciplines and sectors to focus limited resources on preventing, detecting, and responding to those zoonotic diseases of greatest national concern.
The Global Health Security Agendaexternal icon (GHSA) is an effort by nations, international organizations, and civil society to accelerate progress toward a world safe and secure from infectious disease threats; to promote global health security as an international priority; and to spur progress toward full implementation of the World Health Organizationexternal icon (WHO) International Health Regulationsexternal icon 2005 (IHR) and Joint External Evaluations (JEE) for Improved Health Security, the World Organisation for Animal Healthexternal icon (OIE) Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) pathwayexternal icon, and other relevant global health security frameworks.
To encourage progress toward these goals, the “Action Packages” concept was developed to facilitate regional and global collaboration toward specific GHSA objectives and targets. All countries that support the GHSA are welcome to participate in one or more Action Packages and are asked to consider specific commitments across these areas on a national, regional, or global basis.
A One Health approach is used in several of the Action Packages, including the Zoonotic Disease Action Package. CDC OHZDP workshops can help countries identify the top zoonotic diseases/pathogens of greatest public health concern using a multisectoral, One Health approach to meet GHSA targets.
The Zoonoses Education Coalition (ZEC) is a public-private partnership helps to exchange scientific information while promoting CDC’s zoonotic disease prevention messages to educate pet owners, public health officials, veterinarians, human healthcare providers, and other stakeholders on how to stay healthy while enjoying pets. ZEC includes representatives from many different sectors, including the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), breeders and retailers, the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), CDC, and others.
Messages on pets and zoonoses promoted by the ZEC include:
- Safe handling of reptiles (turtles, snakes, lizards) and amphibians (frogs, toads)
- Safe handling of pet rodents (hamsters, gerbils, mice, and rats)
- Safe handling of feeder rodents, including live and frozen
The One Health Office works closely with the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV). State public health veterinarians are the local and state professionals who regularly consult with physicians, emergency rooms, legislators, local officials, schools, health departments, and the general public on preventing and controlling diseases that people can get from animals and animal products. NASPHV, in partnership with CDC and others, collaborate on a variety of guidance and recommendationsexternal icon related to the prevention and control of zoonoses.
Since 2011, CDC has worked with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to promote a One Health collaboration between federal and state public health and animal health authorities and state youth agriculture groups through a program called Influenza and Zoonoses Education Among Youth in Agricultureexternal iconexternal icon. CDC initiated this program after the emergence of multiple outbreaks of human influenza illness caused by viruses that normally circulate in pigs. Youth who are in contact with or work directly with animals are at a higher risk for zoonotic diseases. This innovative program educates youth about zoonotic diseases, delivers disease prevention messages, and strengthens One Health networks among state human and animal health departments and agricultural communities across rural America.
The program has a direct potential reach of 7.2 million youth through 4-H and FFA but can also spread educational messages to their family, mentors, friends, agricultural producers, and others.
- See the Youth in Agriculture Program Overview pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages].
- See more information on the Influenza and Zoonoses Education Among Youth in Agricultureexternal icon Program on CSTE’s website.
- Visit the program’s Resource Repositoryexternal icon for educational materials.
Zoonoses & One Health Updates (ZOHU) Calls are one-hour monthly webinars that provide timely education on zoonotic and infectious diseases, One Health, antimicrobial resistance, food safety, vector-borne diseases, recent outbreaks, and related health threats at the animal-human-environment interface. Free Continuing Education is available for live calls and recordings.
Read the fact sheet on CDC’s One Health Office and the One Health approach.
Learn about CDC’s One Health Office, its history mission, and its mission.
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