Nathan Maclyn Thielman

Primary Theme: Global Health

Zoonotic diseases, caused by pathogens transmitted from animals to humans, account for approximately three out of five new human illnesses. The multidisciplinary One Health approach is gaining traction as the way forward in solving the problem of emerging diseases plaguing human, animal and environmental health. Southeast Asia has been identified as a hotspot for infectious diseases due to the tropical climate and anthropogenic factors that have led to increased contact between humans, wildlife and the ecosystem. In recent years, novel respiratory viruses such as avian and swine influenza viruses, enteroviruses and adenoviruses have caused significant outbreaks that have devastated human and animal populations. Stakeholders acknowledge the importance of increasing surveillance and epidemiological research to understand the emergence of zoonotic diseases to prevent potential future pandemics; however, major gaps in surveillance remain in Malaysia, particularly at the interface of human and animal health.