Colombia intensifies One Health approach to combat zoonotic disease threats

Colombia bolsters efforts to tackle zoonotic diseases through integrated animal, human, and environmental health strategies, emphasising prevention and biosecurity measures amidst ongoing risks.

Zoonotic diseases, which pass between animals and people through direct contact, contaminated food or vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks and fleas, remain a public-health concern in Colombia and beyond. More than 200 such diseases have been identified worldwide, according to the World Health Organization’s broad framing of the issue.

In Colombia, the Ministry of Health says leptospirosis can spread through water, food, soil or material contaminated with rat urine, and advises avoiding stagnant water and damp soil while using protective equipment where exposure is likely. Decree 2257 of 1986 sets out the country’s framework for prevention, diagnosis and control of zoonoses, including rabies, leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis and trichinosis.

For pet owners, veterinarians say regular vaccination, internal and external deworming, and routine veterinary checks help reduce risks from rabies, leptospirosis and parasite-borne disease. In livestock, biosecurity, vaccination, sanitary monitoring and epidemiological surveillance are central to protecting animals and maintaining safe food chains.

The National Institute of Health continues to monitor animal bites linked to rabies, leptospirosis and other diseases in 2026. The One Health approach, promoted by international bodies and Colombian animal-health groups, argues that human, animal and environmental health are inseparable. As Jayme Dias de Lima of MSD Salud Animal in Colombia put it, prevention requires “a joint commitment”.

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