Islamabad - United States Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control held a joint workshop on Zoonotic diseases yesterday.

There is a risk that these animal diseases such as Crimean Congo, Hemorrhagic fever, rabies, brucellosis and avian influenza can spread to humans.

“The workshop brought decision makers and scientists together to agree on a list of priority zoonotic diseases,” said a US embassy statement. 

In addition to strengthening the federal/provincial and animal/human health cross-sectoral collaboration, the workshop concluded with a plan for future disease control efforts, the statement said.

Dr Stephanie Salyer, a Veterinary Epidemiologist with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Center for Global Health, Dr Kate Varela, a Veterinary Medical Officer-ORISE Research Participant within the One Health Office at CDC and Grace Goryoka, a Health Scientist-ORISE Research Participant within the One Health Office at CDC conducted the workshop, it said.

Speaking at the concluding ceremony, experts from the US Centers for Disease Control said that the spread of Zoonotic diseases was important health concern and it’s control required collaboration between Pakistan’s veterinary and human health sectors.

He said that the participants of the workshop were trained in-country facilitators in the One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization process and One Health Systems Mapping and Analysis Resource Toolkit. 

He said the final report, approved by all ministries representing core voting members, will be published around two months after this workshop.