Did you know that 75% of new human pathogens over the past three decades have originated from animals? What’s more, many common causes of human infection, such as E. coli and Salmonella, are shared with animals and readily found within the environment.
This is why Jenee Odani, CTAHR’s pre-veterinary experts in the Dept. of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences, will be present when Gov. Green hosts a signing ceremony declaring January as “Hawai‘i One Health Month.”
“When you hear the word ‘health,’ you might initially think about human health, human doctors, and the medical school,” says lecturer Julie Bennington. “But when it comes to ‘One Health,’ this multidisciplinary approach advocated by the Centers for Disease Control acknowledges the important public health connections of people, animals, and the environment.”
Leptospirosis, rat lungworm disease, and toxoplasmosis are just some of the significant zoonotic diseases – diseases that can be spread between humans and animals – that are prevalent in Hawai’i, she explains. Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that is transmitted through the urine of infected mammals, can sicken people who come into contact with contaminated water or soil. Rat lungworm disease, a painful neurologic disease, can develop in people and animals who accidentally ingest infective larvae in snails or slugs in contaminated produce. Toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease that is transmitted through the feces of infected cats, is the leading cause of human death among foodborne illnesses in the U.S. – and is the biggest threat to Hawaiian monk seals.
“One Health embodies the Hawaiian cultural practice of ‘Malama i ka ‘aina’ that focuses on the deep interconnection of people, animals, and all the land,’ says Julie. “This proclamation is a huge step in the right direction.”
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