One Health

Elephant Seal Colony Declines One Year After Avian Flu Outbreak

The sounds of barking elephant seals are again in the air along the breeding grounds of Península Valdés, Argentina—but it’s quieter. Roughly a year after a massive outbreak of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza killed more than 17,000 elephant seals, including about 97% of their pups, scientists estimate that only about a third of the elephant seals normally expected here returned.

Understanding the Threat of Bird Flu

Since 2022, a new, highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 influenza or “bird flu” has spread worldwide. In the U.S. it has affected over 100 million birds and for the first time, spread into dairy cows and a small, but growing, number of people. At UC Davis, experts in One Health — an approach that considers the health of people, animals and the environment together — are on high alert.

Nothing but death

Dead silence met Marcela Uhart and her team when they arrived at the elephant seal colony at Punta Delgada, Patagonia on Oct. 10, 2023.

Pandemic Preparedness

Dairy cows in California have a new requirement meeting them: a negative test for H5n1 or “bird flu.”

These tests are handled by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System – the backbone of California's warning system that helps to protect the health of California's livestock and, thereby, the lives of Californians.

Dr. Jonna Mazet Awarded One Health Recognition

Vice Provost Dr. Jonna Mazet was awarded the K. F. Meyer/James H. Steele Gold-Headed Cane by the American Veterinary Epidemiology Society (AVES). The prestigious award dates to 1964 and recognizes career accomplishments and contributions to veterinary epidemiology, public health, and One Health.

Seeing the Big Picture

Understanding the interaction between people, animals, plants and their shared environment — collectively known as One Health — has never been so important.