Dr. William Karesh, Director, Wildlife Conservation Society's Wildlife Health Sciences

Partner: Wildlife Conservation Society

As people and their domestic animals penetrate once-pristine areas and expand their range and intensity of activities around the globe, the risk of transmitting deadly diseases increases significantly. Today, infectious and noninfectious diseases of humans, domestic animals and wildlife are being recognized as an increasing challenge to biodiversity conservation, and to efforts to improve the quality of life for humans.

As people and their domestic animals penetrate once-pristine areas and expand their range and intensity of activities around the globe, the risk of transmitting deadly diseases increases significantly. Today, infectious and noninfectious diseases of humans, domestic animals and wildlife are being recognized as an increasing challenge to biodiversity conservation, and to efforts to improve the quality of life for humans.

Dr. William Karesh spoke about “One World, One Health,” which is a broad understanding of health and disease through a consilience of human, domestic and wildlife health. Recent outbreaks of West Nile Virus, Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever, SARS, Monkeypox, Mad Cow Disease and Avian Influenza remind us that human and animal health are intimately connected. The rise of emerging and resurging infectious diseases threatens not only humans (and their food supplies and economies), but also the fauna and flora comprising the critically needed biodiversity that supports the living infrastructure of our world.

Additional resources:

» Watch Dr. Karesh's Presentation (Part 1)

» Watch Dr. Karesh's Presentation (Part 2)

» Watch Dr. Karesh's Presentation (Part 3

» WCS: Wildlife Health Sciences Program

» WCS: Why Animal Health Matters

» Global Avian Influenza Network for Surveillance (GAINS) website