National surveillance for zoonotic infectious diseases
The AVMA recognizes the importance of and supports the need for national surveillance for zoonotic diseases of public health importance in animals and humans. Emergent and resurgent zoonotic diseases are among the most important infectious disease threats to human and animal health around the world. In addition, the AVMA recognizes that enzootic risks, such as animal bites and rabies, remain critically important public health issues. Effective surveillance for zoonoses will ideally utilize an integrated, One Health approach for collection, analysis, inter-agency sharing, and dissemination of data and timely public information through collaborative efforts of multiple federal, state, and local organizations, as well as private veterinary medical practitioners. Animal and human health have benefited from veterinary medical expertise in the control of historically important zoonoses and the recognition and understanding of newly emerging zoonotic diseases.
The AVMA supports a systematic process for submission of surveillance data to human and animal (both domestic and wildlife) health agencies and the timely compilation, analysis, and reporting of information back to stakeholders, with a mechanism for protecting confidentiality.