World Zoonoses Day
World Zoonoses Day commemorates the first rabies vaccine given on 6 July 1885 and serves as a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by zoonotic diseases. It is estimated 60 percent of infectious diseases and up to 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in origin.
Zoonotic diseases, or zoonoses, are diseases shared between animals – including livestock, wildlife, and pets – and people. They can pose serious risks to both animal and human health and may have far-reaching impacts on economies and livelihoods. Zoonotic diseases are commonly spread at the human-animal-environment interface – where people and animals interact with each other in their shared environment. Zoonotic diseases can be foodborne, waterborne, or vector-borne, or transmitted through direct contact with animals, or indirectly by fomites or environmental contamination.
Webinar: Tackling zoonoses at source: Call for action in agrifood systems
3 July 2025 | online
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Highlights
World Zoonosis Day
The video features FAO expert Andrés González discussing World Zoonoses Day and emphasizing the need for a One Health approach to prevent and control zoonotic diseases at their source.
In depth
Zoonoses
Zoonotic diseases, or zoonoses, are diseases shared between animals – including livestock, wildlife, and pets – and people.
In depth
One Health approach to rabies
FAO supports member countries in their efforts to prevent and control rabies through a One Health approach.
Highlights
Decoding pathogen spillover: Understanding the origins of zoonotic threats
Spillover events are rarely attributable to a single cause. Instead, they arise from a confluence of factors that is amplified at the interface between humans, animals, and the environment:
In depth
Biosecurity
One Health and biosecurity converge as a common path leading to improved biological risk management across agrifood systems.
One Health intelligence
Operational global One Health intelligence is the first step towards the identification and mitigation of risks against emerging, endemic and epidemic diseases, and threats to environmental health and food security.