One Health

March 16, 2010 One Health The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) featured “One Health: Implications for Animal Agriculture” as its conference theme this April. “One Health” is the phrase used to describe an approach to health that recognizes the interrelationships between human, animal, and environmental health. The global movements of people, animals, and animal products—both legally and illegally—can carry pests and diseases from one area of the world to another. The close relationship people have with animals around the world, in many cases living in the same quarters (admit it, has your dog or cat ever slept in your bed?), provides the opportunity for inadvertent disease transfer. Unusual weather events and global climate change also foster the introduction and maintenance of disease-carrying vectors such as the midges that carry Bluetongue, also known as pseudo-foot-and-mouth disease. Many of the NIAA conference presentations can be heard through audio feeds on the NIAA website thanks to Truffle Media.