Federal health agencies, to include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the first collaborative report listing the top zoonotic diseases of national concern for the United States.

Rabies
A canine suspected of being rabid that had been exhibiting signs of restlessness, and overall uncharacteristic aggressive behavior, which are two symptoms of rabies.
Image/CDC

The report was developed after jointly hosting a One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization Workshop for the United States. A list of eight zoonotic diseases that are of greatest concern to the nation were agreed upon and include zoonotic influenza, salmonellosis, West Nile virus, plague, emerging coronaviruses like SARS and MERS, rabies, brucellosis and Lyme disease.

Six out of every 10 infectious diseases in people are zoonotic, which makes it crucial that the nation strengthen its capabilities to prevent and respond to these diseases using a One Health approach. One Health is an approach that recognizes the connection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment and calls for experts in human, animal, and environmental health to work together to achieve the best health outcomes for all.