There are many globally important One Health concerns, including the emergence of infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance and the control of food and water borne pathogens. With so many big global concerns dominating the landscape it is easy miss the emergence of more local One Health issues that have a big impact on communities within Aotearoa New Zealand. One such issue is the rise salmonella infections in animals and people over the last five or so years.

Salmonella serotypes have caused significant morbidity and mortality in cattle, and have been mirrored by an increase in the same strains causing severe disease in people, in the same geographical locations at the same time of year. The most important is Salmonella Bovismorbificans, a cause of high morbidity and mortality in calves and adult cattle in rural areas such as the Waikato, Taranaki and Canterbury. The multiple impacts of this disease on human health, animal health and livelihoods, particularly in rural communities, was the stimulus for an OHA workshop.

The meeting was held in May 2021 at the University of Otago, Wellington. It brought together experts from the fields of human and animal health, food safety, the dairy industry and Rural Women to share experiences and knowledge and to work towards a more unified One Health approach to controlling and preventing disease caused by S. Bovismorbificans and other emerging serotypes.

OHA Salmonella Bovismorbificans presentations: