Joint federal report determines greatest zoonotic disease concerns in United States

In a first federal collaborative report between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of the Interior (DOI) and Department of Agriculture (USDA), a federal list now tracks the most concerning illnesses spread between animals and people in the United States.

These illnesses, known as zoonotic diseases, represent major worries for industry and health. Eight diseases made up the list, including zoonotic influenza, salmonellosis, West Nile virus, plague, emerging coronaviruses, rabies, brucellosis, and Lyme disease. The departments hope that by identifying and collaboratively issuing recommendations on the issue, they can begin to move forward on a One Health approach to counter them.

“Every year, tens of thousands of Americans get sick from diseases spread between animals and people,” Casey Barton Behravesh, director of the One Health Office at the CDC, said. “CDC’s One Health Office is collaborating with DOI, USDA, and other partners across the government to bring together disease detectives, laboratorians, physicians, and veterinarians to prevent those illnesses and protect the health of people, animals, and our environment.”

According to CDC data, six of every 10 infectious diseases suffered by people are zoonotic. One Health is an approach to consider the connections between people, animals and environmental plants in finding solutions.

The report was released after a joint workshop on One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization, which marked the first time multiple U.S. government agencies worked together on the topic.