USDA Using “One Health” Approach To Study Viruses

According to researchers, up to 75% of emerging infectious diseases in humans come from animals. And that includes COVID-19. Dr. Mike Watson, Associate Administrator at APHIS, is part of a proposed project just announced recently to create basically an early warning system of possible human disease outbreaks by doing more animal disease surveillance.

"To identify emerging diseases in animals that we can alert our public health partners ahead of time.  That we start seeing this in animals and hopefully we can take steps to prevent a huge outbreak in humans moving forward."

The plan will first focus on the virus that causes COVID-19, which is found in animal, but can be deadly in humans. But later on the project will expand to other diseases. Watson said this is not just a USDA thing, it would involved sharing knowledge working with many US and global agencies on what he calls a "one health" approach.

"It's combining humans, animals, and the environment."

Initial funding for this work was made possible by the American Rescue Plan.

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