FIVM Series presents: Integration of Wildlife and Environmental Health into a One Health Approach

Loss of biodiversity, habitat fragmentation and pollution, and subsequent degradation of natural environments threaten the range of ecosystem services that support all life on this planet.  These changes, among others, are also driving the emergence of infectious diseases which can harm people, animals, and our shared environment.

Historically, interventions aimed at human and agricultural health issues did not always integrate wildlife or environmental health as part of the solution. We are now recognizing that a One Health approach is needed to address these issues.

On Friday, October16, Dr. Jonathan Sleeman will host a noon-hour virtual discussion* of how One Health provides a conceptual framework for developing interventions that optimize outcomes for human, animal, and environmental health.  He’ll also talk about the need to clearly articulate the core values, goals, and objectives of One Health, in order to enable various sectors to effectively work together on disease control and prevention. These solutions are especially critical given the linkage of the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 with the value chain of the wildlife trade, and the need to prevent future pandemics.

Dr. Jonathan Sleeman is the Center Director for the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center. He leads a team that provides national leadership to safeguard wildlife and ecosystem health through multidisciplinary research and technical assistance to federal, state, and tribal agencies as well as internationally as an OIE Collaborating Centre.

Dr. Sleeman is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Wisconsin, School of Veterinary Medicine. He has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications and several book chapters all on the topics of wildlife and ecosystem health. He is active in various scientific organizations, including the Wildlife Disease Association and the International Association of Ecology and Health. He recently completed a detail in the Republic of Korea where he conducted a wildlife disease risk assessment to prioritize wildlife diseases of concern for Korea, and continues to assist in the development of the Korean National Wildlife Health Center. He is board certified by the American College of Zoological Medicine, and received his veterinary degree and master’s degree in zoology from the University of Cambridge, England. Previous positions include Director of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Center in Rwanda, and Wildlife Veterinarian for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

*Please watch for an invitation to this seminar with a Zoom link