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Why One Health makes sense

Based on the example of Q fever, the shortfalls of reductionist medicine are summarised and explained by Jakob Zinsstag.

Shortfalls in health care not only occur in developing countries. They can also be a problem in industrialised ones.

With a One Health approach the outbreak of zoonoses can be prevented. A good example is Q Fever which occurred in the Netherlands in 2007 when more than 3000 people were infected.

Jakob Zinsstag illustrates how essential it is for human and animal health to work closely together, how important communication is and how One Health is not just an added value to reduce risks but also leads to financial savings and improves environmental services.

References

De Valk H (2012). Q fever: new insights, still many queries, in: Euro Surveillance 17(3), pii=20062.

Enserink, M. (2010). Infectious diseases. Questions abound in Q-fever explosion in the Netherlands, in: Science 327, 266–267.

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One Health: Connecting Humans, Animals and the Environment

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