AHI Recognizes World Zoonoses Day

Animal health is public health, and World Zoonoses Day reminds us why that connection matters more than ever. July 6 is the anniversary of a major milestone in public health: the first successful vaccination against a zoonotic disease by Louis Pasteur in 1885. It serves as a reminder of what’s possible when veterinary medicine and public health work in tandem.

Zoonotic diseases are disease that pass between animals and people, and they make up 60% of all human infectious diseases. [CDC] They include global threats like avian influenza and persistent infections like salmonella and leptospirosis, silently affecting hundreds of millions of people every year. In the United States, half a million people will be diagnosed with a tick-borne disease each year, and some can come from unprotected pets. [CDC]

Vaccination is one of our most effective tools for prevention. It stops disease at the source, reduces the risk of spillover, and is cost-effective. The world spends over $200 billion each year responding to zoonotic disease outbreaks. Yet preventive actions, including animal surveillance and vaccination, would cost just a fraction—around $20 billion globally. We cannot afford to continue reacting after the fact.

AHI is committed to working with animal health experts around the world to protect animal health, strengthen public health, and reduce the threat of future zoonotic outbreaks.