In September I attended the World One Health Congress- followed by the United Against Rabies Forum in Cape Town, South Africa.
At the WOHC, there were 1,400 participants from 87 countries, and over 70 sessions containing 400 speakers and 600 scientific posters. Certainly one of the most important forums in the discipline of One Health with a full discourse on the intersectionality of human health, animal health, and environmental health.
The impact of Animal Health in the One Health challenge cannot be underestimated and certainly we(in Animal Health) have an important role in being part of the solution in controlling diseases that could eventually affect mankind.
High Pathogenic Avian Influenza received much attention during the event as we see the virus jumping species and as of September, according to the CDC, 14 cases in humans have been identified. Plus reports of sea lions, pelicans, and other species having high mortality in the face of exposure.
At one of the panels on HPAI, the question was raised: why are we not vaccinating poultry, outside of a few countries? Certainly by doing so we could reduce significantly the amount of virus in the environment. Responses pointed primarily to the complexity of the export restrictions of countries do vaccinate. However, many feel that eventually the social pressure will be too much to allow the virus to continue as is. And there is a real fear if there is a mutation that it could become the next ‘Covid in humans’.
It is clear that HPAI is a One Health issue and my view needs to be addressed in a proper pragmatic scientific and economic approach. However, we need all the stakeholders to come together with a proper solution that involves the poultry industry, Animal Health companies, WOAH, WTO, and Governments to agree on a pathway forward to reduce the threat of HPAI.
Paul Casady
English (United States) 
Portuguese