The One Health concept recognizes that the health of humans, animals, and their ecosystems are interconnected, and that a coordinated, collaborative, multidisciplinary, and cross-sectoral approach is necessary to fully understand and respond to potential or existing risks that originate at the animal–human–ecosystems interfaces. Thus, the One Health concept represents a holistic vision for addressing some of the complex challenges that threaten human and animal health, food safety, and the environments in which diseases flourish. There are many examples showing how the health of humans is related to the health of animals and the environment. Diseases shared between humans and animals are zoonoses. Some zoonoses have been known for many years, whereas others have emerged suddenly and unexpectedly. Over 70% of all new emerging diseases over the past few decades have been zoonoses that have emerged from wildlife, most often from bats, rodents, or birds. Examples of zoonoses are many and varied, ranging from rabies to bovine tuberculosis, and from Japanese encephalitis to SARS. Clearly, a One Health approach is essential for understanding their ecology, and for outbreak response and the development of control strategies. However, the One Health concept and approach is much broader than zoonoses; it extends to including antimicrobial resistance, food safety, and environmental health and, consequently, impacts on global health security, economic wellbeing, and international trade. It is this breadth of One Health that connects the papers in this Special Issue.

The 2018 FAO-OIE-WHO (Tripartite) zoonoses guide, “Taking A Multisectoral, One Health Approach: A Tripartite Guide to Addressing Zoonotic Diseases in Countries” (2018 TZG) is being jointly developed to provide member countries with practical guidance on OH approaches to build national mechanisms for multisectoral coordination, communication, and collaboration to address zoonotic disease threats at the animal-human-environment interface. The 2018 TZG updates and expands on the guidance in the one previous jointly-developed, zoonoses-specific guidance document: the 2008 Tripartite “Zoonotic Diseases: A Guide to Establishing Collaboration between Animal and Human Health Sectors at the Country Level”, developed in WHO South-East Asia Region and Western Pacific Region. The 2018 TZG supports building by countries of the resilience and capacity to address emerging and endemic zoonotic diseases such as avian influenza, rabies, Ebola, and Rift Valley fever, as well as food-borne diseases and antimicrobial resistance, and to minimize their impacts on health, livelihoods, and economies. It additionally supports country efforts to implement WHO International Health Regulations (2005) and OIE international standards, to address gaps identified through external and internal health system evaluations, and to achieve targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2018 TZG provides relevant country ministries and agencies with lessons learned and good practices identified from country-level experiences in taking OH approaches for preparedness, prevention, detection and response to zoonotic disease threats, and provides guidance on multisectoral communication, coordination, and collaboration. It informs on regional and country-level OH activities and relevant unisectoral and multisectoral tools available for countries to use.

Humans are part of an ecosystem, and understanding our relationship with the environment and with other organisms is a prerequisite to living together sustainably. Zoonotic diseases, which are spread between animals and humans, are an important issue as they reflect our relationship with other animals in a common environment. Zoonoses are still presented with high occurrence rates, especially in rural communities, with direct and indirect consequences for people. In several cases, zoonosis could cause severe clinical manifestations and is difficult to control and treat. Moreover, the persistent use of drugs for infection control enhances the potential of drug resistance and impacts on ecosystem balance and food production. This book demonstrates the importance of understanding zoonosis in terms of how it allows ecosystems to transform, adapt, and evolve. Ecohealth/One Health approaches recognize the interconnections among people, other organisms, and their shared developing environment. Moreover, these holistic approaches encourage stakeholders of various disciplines to collaborate in order to solve problems related to zoonosis. The reality of climate change necessitates considering new variables in studying diseases, particularly to predict how these changes in the ecosystems can affect human health and how to recognize the boundaries between medicine, veterinary care, and environmental and social changes towards healthy and sustainable development.

Zoonotic Tuberculosis: Mycobacterium bovis and Other Pathogenic Mycobacteria, Third Edition is a comprehensive review of the state of the art in the control and elimination of infections caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in animals and humans. This update to the most complete and current reference available on Mycobacterium bovis includes new coverage of the latest molecular techniques; more information on human infection and One Health; updates to the information on the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD), the World Health Organization (WHO), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Tuberculosis Eradication Program; and coverage of additional African countries. The Third Edition upholds the book’s reputation as a truly global resource on M. bovis. Written by an international list of tuberculosis experts, chapters cover the status of tuberculosis in many regions throughout the world and deal with issues related to the detection, spread, and control of Mycobacterium bovis, as well as the economic impact of outbreaks. Zoonotic Tuberculosis: Mycobacterium bovis and Other Pathogenic Mycobacteria offers valuable information for public health officials, medical doctors, state and federal regulatory veterinarians, veterinary practitioners, and animal caretakers.

One Health (OH) is an emerging innovative approach that aims to promote collaboration and coordination among health sectors to address health threats at the human–animal–environment interface including zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In view of this, Egypt has early embraced the OH approach for effective mitigation of emerging zoonotic diseases, especially following the avian influenza crisis, through promoting the 4-way linking and further establishment of the OH technical advisory group (OH-TAG) as well as disease-specific technical working groups (TWGs). The training manual will be used as a national reference document for sensitizing health professionals on the concept and application of the OH approach for tackling zoonotic diseases and AMR in a coordinated manner, by providing specific examples of joint actions for implementation by the ministries in charge of human health, animal health and environmental health.

One Health A balanced and multidisciplinary exploration of the One Health concept In One Health: Human, Animal, and Environment Triad, a team of distinguished researchers introduces and explains the concept of One Health by providing an overview of the One Health idea from the perspective of diverse disciplines, from earth and environmental science to ecology and conservation to veterinary and human medicine. The authors also present case studies demonstrating the real-world challenges and opportunities of this interdisciplinary approach to sustainable human well-being. Readers will find insightful discussions of the interactions between chemical pollutants and water, soil, and the atmosphere, as well as detailed examinations of sustainable food supply, waste management, and pathogen control, backed up by extensive reference data. One Health: Human, Animal, and Environment Triad also includes: The emergence and re-emergence of zoonoses and other infectious diseases The behavior of microplastics in soil and water Organic farming and its influence on soil health The role of light for human well-being Perfect for researchers interested in global health, ecological health, medical geology, toxicology, epidemiology, and zoonotic diseases, One Health: Human, Animal, and Environment Triad will also benefit professionals with an interest in public health and other public services, resource conservation, waste management, and the circular economy.

This book provides readers with information on the factors underlying the emergence of infectious diseases originating in animals and spreading to people. The One Health concept recognizes the important links between human, animal, and environmental health and provides an important strategy in epidemic mitigation and prevention. The essential premise of the One Health concept is to break down the silos among the different health professions and promote transdisciplinary collaborations. These concepts are illustrated with in-depth analyses of specific zoonotic agents and with examples of the successes and challenges associated with implementing One Health. The book also highlights some of the challenges societies face in confronting several specific zoonotic diseases. A chapter is included on comparative medicine to demonstrate the broad scope of the One Health concept. Edited by a team including the One Health Initiative pro bono members, the book is dedicated to those studying zoonotic diseases and comparative medicine in both human and veterinary medicine, to those involved in the prevention and control of zoonotic infections and to those in the general public interested in the visionary field of One Health.