Fall 2025 One Health Newsletter one health Section Of The American Public Health Association

Enhancing One Health Services for Extreme Weather Event Response and Subsistence Community Preparedness

By Victoria Bortfeld and Alice Lau

APHA One Health Supporters

We are experiencing the catastrophic impacts of climate change-induced extreme weather events in real time, which affect the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of populations and their surrounding environments (1). At the beginning of 2025, the Los Angeles wildfires killed at least 29 people and destroyed homes, structures, and ecosystems (2). Last fall, the United States experienced two devastating back-to-back hurricanes — Helene and Milton — that struck Southeastern states, including Alabama, Florida, and Georgia (3,4). Together, they claimed approximately 250 lives and caused widespread damage to water infrastructure, homes, property, and public health, including increased risks of diseases like Vibrio infection (5). By integrating the One Health framework into preparedness and response efforts, health professionals can enhance their understanding of how these events impact communities (Photo 1). With this approach, they can assess at-risk populations, implement holistic solutions, and take a larger role in pre- and post-event support.

For example, coastal Louisiana Indigenous Tribes such as the Houma rely deeply on their natural environment through subsistence fishing and other cultural practices (6). Increased frequency and severity of storms and flooding, sea level rise, land loss, and higher temperatures disrupt local ecosystems (Photo 2). When Tribal members cannot trade shrimp or gather local resources, their cultural traditions and economic stability suffer. These challenges threaten traditional livelihoods, increase social vulnerabilities, and exacerbate health conditions, resulting in immediate and long-term community health impacts (7). By using the One Health framework to center these factors in preparedness and response efforts, communities can shift toward long-term health interventions and better represent at-risk communities. Addressing economic livelihoods and cultural traditions that depend on animal and ecosystem health can better underscore the long-term, complex mental health impacts of extreme weather events.

Health professionals can enhance existing infrastructures and services, such as community health clinics and One Health clinics, by integrating the One Health framework into public health practice. Expanding clinics’ mobility and rapid response services enables more proactive and tailored care before, during, and after extreme weather events. Clinics can, for example, provide mental health screenings that explicitly address individual and population-level vulnerabilities. Questions can cover subsistence-dependent incomes, such as farming and fishing, food security, human-animal interdependence, and cultural livelihoods. These screenings can collect more specific information on the social, economic, and health services needed before and after an event. Providing these screenings before and after extreme weather events, especially in disaster-prone locations, helps identify and better protect the communities most vulnerable to compounding and cascading impacts.

Longitudinal research studies can strengthen these initiatives by assessing both lasting mental health impacts and the economic burdens of extreme weather events. As we deploy and enhance these One Health services, measuring their benefits for communities is critical to informed decision-making across disciplines and guiding the evolution of the framework. Together, health professionals and community stakeholders, while reinforcing current infrastructure and One Health services, can collaboratively create more inclusive, sustainable solutions for climate and health resilience.

References

1. Leppold C, Gibbs L, Block K, Reifels L, Quinn P. Public health implications of multiple disaster exposures. Lancet Public Health. 2022;7(3):e274-e286.
2. Stelloh T, Lenthang M, Cohen R, Helsel P. California wildfires: What we know about L.A.-area fires, what caused them, who is affected and more. NBC News. Published January 17, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-wildfires-what-we-know-palisades-eaton-los-angeles-rcna188239
3. Schreiner B. Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to 227. AP News. Published October 5, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-death-toll-asheville-north-carolina-34d1226bb31f79dfb2ff6827e40587fc
4. Sundby A, Watson K, Czachor EM, et al. Hurricane Milton live updates as powerful storm approaches Florida landfall. CBS News. Published October 9, 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/hurricane-milton-2024/
5. Kumar S, Mohapatra P, Balaraman AK, Mehta R, Sah S. Rising threat of Vibrio vulnificus: managing flesh-eating bacterial infections post-hurricane in Florida. Infect Dis (Lond). 2025;57(1):117-119.
6. Maldonado JK. A multiple knowledge approach for adaptation to environmental change: lessons learned from coastal Louisiana’s tribal communities. Journal of Political Ecology. 2014;21(1):61.
7. Walinski A, Sander J, Gerlinger G, Clemens V, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Heinz A. The effects of climate change on mental health. Deutsches Arzteblatt International. 2023;120(8):117-124.

One Health Spotlight:

Jamie Middleton, Chief Veterinarian and Director of Veterinary Public Health at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, DVM, MPH, MS

Dr. Jamie Middleton serves as the Chief Veterinarian and Director of Veterinary Public Health at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, where she leads efforts to prevent and control zoonotic diseases through a One Health approach. With expertise in veterinary medicine, infectious diseases, and public health, Dr. Middleton focuses on outbreaks involving emerging and re-emerging pathogens, animal disease surveillance, and the development of cross-sector disease control strategies at the human-animal-environment interface.

Prior to her current role, she served for the last decade as the Associate Director of Veterinary Public Health for Los Angeles County and worked in clinical small animal practice. Dr. Middleton holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in Infectious Disease Microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh, earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Western University of Health Sciences, and completed her MPH and residency in Public Health and Preventive Medicine at the University of Minnesota.

1. How does One Health apply to your current roles, and why is it important?

As a public health veterinarian, One Health is foundational to everything we do. My role focuses on the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health — especially in preventing and responding to zoonotic diseases and other public health threats. In Los Angeles County, with its mix of urban, suburban, and rural areas, diverse populations, and wide range of animals — from pets to livestock to wildlife — these connections are especially clear. One Health enables us to strengthen surveillance, improve risk assessments, and coordinate more effective responses by leveraging expertise across disciplines. It is not just important, it is essential to protecting public health.

2. How did you first become interested in One Health as a concept, and what was your career pathway like to lead you to your current work?

My interest in One Health evolved naturally through my academic and professional journey. While working on malaria and HIV research during graduate school, I developed a strong interest in public health and entered veterinary school with that focus already in mind. It was during veterinary school that the concept of One Health truly resonated with me — I was especially drawn to the study of zoonotic diseases and the deep connections between animal, human, and environmental health, particularly in vulnerable and underserved communities.

As a student, I actively sought out experiences that broadened my perspective. I completed a CDC global health fellowship conducting zoonotic disease surveillance in Kenya, supported the canine rabies vaccination campaign in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, and helped launch a street medicine clinic for the pets of individuals experiencing homelessness. These experiences underscored how animal health directly impacts community well-being and highlighted the One Health intersection.

After earning my DVM, I completed a small animal rotating internship and worked in clinical practice before pursuing additional training in public health and preventive medicine at the University of Minnesota. I later joined the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, where I now work alongside a dedicated team of veterinarians and public health professionals at the human-animal-environment interface. Our work covers a wide range of issues from rabies and highly pathogenic avian influenza to antimicrobial resistance, animal importation, and harmful algal blooms. None of this work happens in isolation. Addressing these complex challenges requires strong partnerships and collaboration across disciplines. One Health is not just a framework — it is a vital, practical approach to protecting the health of people, animals, and the environments we all share.

3. What is your favorite part about working in One Health, and what is your favorite example (or fun fact) of One Health?

What I enjoy most about working in One Health is the collaboration across disciplines and the systems-level thinking it requires. It reinforces the reality that nothing in health occurs in isolation, and we do better when we work together. Human, animal, and environmental health are part of an interconnected system so if we are only looking at one piece, we are likely missing critical factors that shape outcomes.

In what often feels like a fragmented world, the power of One Health lies in its reminder that we are all deeply connected. Rather than focusing on what divides us, One Health centers on where we intersect: our shared environments, common health risks, and collective future. It brings together people, animals, and ecosystems, not as separate systems, but as parts of one, interconnected whole.

4. What is one of the major One Health issues that you are working on?

A major One Health issue we are currently addressing is the response to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1), particularly following its detection in non-avian species such as dairy cattle and domestic cats. In Los Angeles County, we have investigated several clusters of HPAI in domestic cats with known exposure to raw milk, raw poultry, and raw pet food. We are currently investigating a confirmed H5 case in a cat that consumed a commercially available raw pet food product.

In response to these incidents, we activate a multidisciplinary One Health team that includes local, state, and federal partners. This collaborative approach enables rapid coordination of animal testing, pet food trace-back and testing, and human health monitoring. Individuals with potential exposure — including pet owners, veterinary staff, and shelter workers — are assessed for risk, monitored for symptoms, and referred for testing or antiviral prophylaxis when indicated. Effective surveillance, timely communication, and collaborative action across animal and human health sectors are essential to managing and mitigating the risks posed by this evolving zoonotic threat.

5. Do you have any words of advice for readers wanting to become more active in One Health?

Start by exploring how your current role or area of study might connect with the broader One Health framework. Do not be afraid to try something new. Seek out interdisciplinary collaborations, volunteer with local public health or animal health organizations, and stay curious. One Health thrives on diverse perspectives and teamwork, so don’t hesitate to think outside the box and reach out across disciplines. The more we work together, the stronger and more resilient our systems become.

The One Health Section appreciates your time and service, Dr. Middleton! Thank you!

Maize and Blue: One Health at the University of Michigan, Bolstering Cross-Sectoral Connections

By Lauren Ward, Allison Cheung, Rachel Zumberg, Dany Zemmel, and Seth Neeley

APHA members and supporters, University of Michigan’s One Health Student Consortium

The One Health Student Consortium (OHSC) at the University of Michigan (UM) was formed in 2023 by students in the Medical School, School for Environment and Sustainability, and School of Public Health (SPH). Observing a lack of specific One Health curriculum and centralized resources within the university, students aimed to promote that One Health is an inherently interdisciplinary field best advanced through collaboration. Through working on select projects with Public Health Prepared (PHP) with the training and workforce development branch of the UM’s Michigan Center for Infectious Disease Threats and Pandemic Preparedness, both centers have been able to amplify one another’s goals and reach, bolstering cross-sectoral connections to advance One Health.

Since its inception, OHSC has engaged over 180 students representing seven academic programs at UM, including the SPH (50%), Medical School (32%), and environment-focused programs (15%). Pilot survey data indicated that 89% of students engaging with OHSC are interested in expanded access to One Health opportunities, including research, coursework, and guest lectures. In pursuit of these opportunities, OHSC created a student travel stipend for presenting One Health research at conferences, collaborated with experts to draft a policy brief proposing evidence-based strategies to combat avian influenza in Michigan, advocated for the creation of an academic One Health certificate, and hosted speakers on campus through partnerships with the Center for Global Health Equity and PHP (Figure 1).

In Spring 2025, OHSC and PHP partnered to engage a cross-sectoral audience around One Health topics and raise awareness of OHSC’s initiatives beyond UM. They hosted a hybrid webinar focused on how the People & Pets Project optimizes the human-animal bond for healthcare by offering free vet care, personal health screenings, and vaccinations. They invited the founder of People & Pets Project, Janet Hendrickson, to instruct the “Clinical One Health, How it Relates to Public Health” course. In return, PHP invited OHSC to present a lightning talk at their 2025 Annual Summit, where they could share their work thus far and plans for the future (Figure 2). The OHSC’s lightning talk ignited interest among the interdisciplinary summit audience, including UM faculty, students, and staff, as well as practitioners from local public health departments, healthcare systems, and other sectors.

These collaborative events enabled the OHSC and PHP groups to leverage PHP’s reach outside of UM and OHSC’s strong interdisciplinary connections within and across UM. The continuation of such partnerships is crucial to strengthening interdisciplinary relationships and advancing impactful efforts to maintain human, environmental, and animal health. By implementing the One Health approach in the academic setting and encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration among medical, public health, and environmental science students, the foundation of their professional careers is set in mutual understanding and appreciation.

The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth

Book Review

By Elizabeth Sommers

APHA One Health Supporter

Herbalists, gardeners, botanists, and anyone who respects our planet’s green energy will be deeply moved by this thought-provoking book. The author Zoë Schlanger is a science writer for the Atlantic whose work focuses on the environment and climate change. This work includes dozens of interviews with plant scientists around the world who grapple with questions such as can plants think? How do plants communicate? And what is plant intelligence?

The Light Eaters begins with a historical overview of humanity’s assessment of plants, discussing the work of Theophrastus (371BC – 287BC), the inheritor of Aristotle’s legacy. Theophrastus took the study of plants quite seriously – describing their behavior and what he observed as their “likes and dislikes” and recognized the dynamic nature of plants and framed agriculture as a collaboration between growers and their crops. Theophrastus authored the first book on plant science, Historia Plantarum (350 BC), the inaugural introduction of a classification system based on structure, production, and growth.

More than 2,000 years after this work, an international group of plant scientists formed the Society for Plant Neurobiology in 2006, a bold and controversial step considering that the word neurobiology implies consciousness, neurons, a nervous system, and neurotransmitters. Heated criticism from their colleagues led to the eventual name change of the organization to the Society of Plant Signaling and Behaviors. Interestingly, in my own experience as an acupuncture researcher, I have encountered a few studies examining plants’ responsiveness to acupressure – that is, to having areas on stems or leaves be touched or pinched, which can be traced through various types of electrical signaling (1,2).

Schlanger offers numerous references to further support this perspective on plant consciousness. She first recounts how researchers at the University of Washington observed a caterpillar infestation in their university’s forest, noting how the trees will signal each other to warn their counterparts about the oncoming plague. This communication may occur both through electrical signaling and through chemicals that can be released in soil or air.

The chapter entitled, "The Scientist and the Chameleon Vine," describes the work of Ernesto Gianoli, a Peruvian ecologist, who discovered and studied a highly prevalent vine (Boquila trifoliata) in the Chilean rainforest in 2014. As this vine can mimic the plants on which it grows, this mimicking behavior could manifest through changes in the vine’s texture, vein pattern, or shape of its leaves. It even extends to mimicking certain features of artificial plants.

The chapter, "The Social Life of Plants," examines how plants evolve in groups. Susan Dudley, a plant evolutionary ecologist from McMaster University, investigates plant relationships and provides foundational evidence that plants can differentiate “self” from ‘non-self,” recognize their genetic kin, and adjust their growth to optimize the equitable sharing of light and other resources. Among others who built on these findings, an Argentinian agricultural research team headed by Mónica López Pereira demonstrated that sunflower farmers could get an almost 50% greater oil yield when seeds coming from the same “family” were planted near each other (3).

“A single plant is a marvel. A community of plants is life itself. It is the evolutionary past and future entangled into a riotous present in which we are ourselves also entangled. This stretches the mind. Plants give us the chance to see the system in which we live.”

This quote concludes the work. The One Health community will recognize and appreciate Schlanger’s commitment to recognizing the connections and interactions between plants, animals, and the entire biosphere.

References

1. Kaplinsky NJ, Barton MK. Plant biology. Plant acupuncture: Sticking PINs in the right places. Science. 2004;306(5697):822-823.
2. Hou TZ, Li MD. Experimental evidence of a plant meridian system: IV. The effects of acupuncture on growth and metabolism of Phaseolus vulgaris L. beans. Am J Chin Med. 1997;25(2):135-42.
3. López Pereira M, Sadras VO, Batista W, Casal JJ, Hall AJ. Light-mediated self-organization of sunflower stands increases oil yield in the field. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017;114(30):7975-7980.

One Health Fellowship Opportunities & RESOURCES

By Anna Makaretz

One Health Newsletter Editor and Section Program Planner

A recurring section in our newsletter, One Health Fellowship Opportunities features professional development opportunities for early career professionals interested in One Health topics. Click on the button below each description to visit the program's site for more details.

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellowship (STPF) - AAAS STPF provides opportunities to scientists and engineers to learn first-hand about policy making while contributing their knowledge and analytical skills to the federal policymaking process. Fellows serve year-long assignments in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal government in Washington, DC. Each year, the program adds to a growing corps of over 3,400 policy-savvy leaders working across academia, government, nonprofits, and industry to serve the nation and the world. (In past years, the application cycle opens on June 1 and closes on November 1.)

Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) - ASPPH offers a number of different fellowships and internships, some of which are in collaboration with other entities. This year, three fellowships are listed: the ASPPH/CDC Public Health Fellowship Program, the ASPPH/USDA Rural Health Fellowship Program, and the ASPPH Public Health Fellowship Program. Summer internships are available for current graduate students enrolled at CEPH-accredited, ASPPH-member schools and programs. For more information, please visit their website. (Application deadlines specific to each fellowship and internship.)

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Fellowship Program - The AVMA Fellowship Program provides participants with the opportunity to shape public policy while enhancing their knowledge of the political process. AVMA fellows serve for one year in Washington as scientific advisors to members of Congress or congressional committees and influence key legislation on a variety of issues. (In past years, the application cycle has opened in November.)

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Government Relations Student Externship - The AVMA Extern Program pairs veterinary students with the AVMA Government Relations Division. During their four-week program, students build familiarity with veterinary-related public policy issues and gain hands-on lobbying experience with Capitol Hill legislators and staff. (In past years, the application cycle closes in early October, per the website.)

Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - The APHL and CDC offer competitive fellowships available to degreed applicants interested in starting or furthering a career in laboratory science while working collaboratively with industry leaders and developing professional networks. Fellowships support public health laboratory program areas such as: bioinformatics, biosafety and biosecurity, emergency preparedness and response, environmental health, infectious disease, informatics, food safety, newborn screening, and quality management. Each fellow will be trained in alignment with established public health laboratory core competencies and functions and will work on unique program-specific projects and other initiatives in host laboratories. (Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. There is no deadline to apply.)

CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) - The EIS is a highly competitive, 2-year post-graduate fellowship in applied epidemiology. This CDC program, established in 1951, is a unique combination of on-the-job-learning and service. Investigating outbreaks in the field is integral to the EIS experience. As CDC’s disease detectives, EIS officers are among the agency’s first-line rapid responders. EIS officers help public health officials investigate and control infectious disease outbreaks and respond to natural disasters and other threats to the public’s health. (Applications are currently being reviewed for the Class of 2026. Please continue to check this website for updates.)

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) - ORISE connects college students, recent graduates, postdocs, and faculty to STEM internships and fellowship programs closely aligned with the interests of a variety of research facilities, including those managed for the U.S. Department of Energy and other federal agencies. These STEM internship and fellowship programs are key to the recruitment and preparation of the next generation of the scientific workforce. (Application deadlines are specific to the program.)

Winston Health Policy Fellowship - This 12-month fellowship offers a postgraduate immersion experience in health policy development by working directly with policy-makers in both the public and private sectors. Current graduate students in their final year of study for a masters or doctoral degree are eligible to apply. The Winston Health Policy Fellowship is located in Washington, DC. (In past years, the application cycle closes in mid-October.)

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