At least 60% of infectious human diseases have an animal origin. Many pandemics, such as covid-19, the Zika and Ebola viruses, avian flu or AIDS, have in common that they come from animals. The number of major global epidemics has increased over the past century as the world’s population grows, transportation increases, environmental degradation and cities expand. Human activity thus plays a major role in the spread of infectious diseases: deforestation, for example, has brought wild and farmed animals into contact, facilitating the transmission of new diseases to humans. The example of the Nipah virus in Southeast Asia is emblematic: this virus, similar to that of measles, was transmitted by fruit bats to pigs, which then passed it to humans. These flying mammals had found refuge in pig farms following colossal fires that destroyed the Malaysian rainforest. The Nipah virus has caused nearly 40% mortality in humans. Fortunately, the epidemic might be contained thanks to the slaughter of one million pigs. The same is true of the decline of vultures in India having a major impact on the spread of human rabies.
In addition, climate change allows in particular the adaptation of animal vectors of diseases, such as mosquitoes, biting midges or ticks, to new geographical areas, which increases the spread of pathogens.
Encourage a global vision
It is in this context that the One Health concept was developed. It encourages consideration of all disease emergence factors. The challenge is to encourage effective collaboration between research organizations working in human and veterinary health as well as in the environment. The concept is promoted by international institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) . A tripartite agreement was signed in 2010 between these three organizations to collaborate on this theme.
The One health concept at ANSES
Through their cross-cutting approach to health safety, for humans, animals and plants alike, ANSES’s work is fundamentally part of the One health concept. This is illustrated in particular by the agency’s participation in two collaborative projects on this theme. One, the DIM project (area of major interest) One health, funded by the Ile-de-France region from 2017 to 2021, brings together many research teams in animal and human health in the region.
The agency also coordinates the European joint program EJP one health (2018-2023), which brings together 39 partners from 19 European countries. Its objective is to acquire new knowledge in the fields of foodborne zoonoses, antibiotic resistance and emerging infectious risks. ANSES coordinates the project in close collaboration with the Belgian partner Sciensano for the coordination of the scientific activities of the “One Health” EJP. Research teams from ANSES laboratories are involved in 17 of the 23 research projects selected within the framework of the two calls for projects of the EJP.
Examples of themes
Many of the Agency’s research and expertise themes come under the One Health theme. Among these, some are particularly representative:
- vector-borne diseases, including those transmitted by ticks, culicoides (biting midges) and mosquitoes;
- the spread of insect vectors of plant diseases due to climate change;
- environmental factors affecting bee health;
- The study of zoonoses, diseases transmitted from animals to humans: swine and avian flu, brucellosis, tuberculosis, coronavirus…;
- parasites transmitted by eating undercooked meat, such as toxoplasmosis or trichinellosis;
- antibiotic resistance, which concerns both farm animals and humans and can be extended to resistance to other anti-infectives;
- the impact of climate change on health, particularly that of workers.
