{"id":106628,"date":"2026-04-13T21:11:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T02:11:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=106628"},"modified":"2026-04-14T12:39:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T17:39:46","slug":"illinois-one-health-initiatives-may-protect-farmers-from-climate-animal-related-infectious-disease-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/illinois-one-health-initiatives-may-protect-farmers-from-climate-animal-related-infectious-disease-risks\/","title":{"rendered":"Illinois \u2018One Health\u2019 initiatives may protect farmers from climate, animal-related infectious disease risks"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kimberly Henrickson<\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>Medill Reports<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s\u00a0an old adage\u00a0in medicine: if you see a farmer enter the emergency room, you better pay\u00a0attention\u00a0and\u00a0act fast.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Farmers are \u201cnotorious\u201d for not seeking medical care, said Dr. Dan Shirley, an infectious disease physician at University of Wisconsin Health. He attributes this to an ingrained do-it-yourself culture, as well as low health<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>care access in rural areas.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0the same thing that makes them not ask for help when their machines break.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0a whole culture of fixing things themselves and not asking outsiders for help.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to the physical demands of farming, farmers also face increased infectious disease risk. Health risks to farmers are particularly important in Illinois, where a third of more than 71,000 farms house livestock, according to the\u00a0Illinois Farm Bureau. According to the\u00a0Illinois Department of Agriculture, farmland takes up about 75% of the state\u2019s land.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The U.S.\u00a0Occupational Safety and Health Administration\u00a0warns\u00a0that\u00a0anyone who works with animals or animal waste, including farmhands, ranchers, slaughterhouse employees<\/span> and veterinarians, has an increased risk of contracting a zoonotic disease. Zoonotic diseases, or zoonoses, are infectious diseases spread from animals to humans. According to the U.S.\u00a0Centers for Disease Control\u00a0and\u00a0Prevention, zoonoses can spread through direct contact with an animal, contact with something the animal has infected, through insect bites,<\/span>\u00a0or through eating or drinking contaminated food or water.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Illinois\u2019\u00a0One Health Commission\u00a0was formed\u00a0Jan 1. under a state law designed to\u00a0monitor\u00a0the interconnected relationship\u00a0of\u00a0human,\u00a0animal\u00a0and environmental health. The interdisciplinary commission, situated within the\u00a0Illinois Department of Public Health,\u00a0<\/span>will bring together experts<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in these disciplines.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis law dismantles the barriers that currently separate human, animal and environmental health sectors, and ensures the future of cross-disciplinary collaboration that will enable the state to respond more effectively to complicated health threats,\u201d said\u00a0state Sen. Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest),\u00a0<\/span>who sponsored the law in the Illinois Senate<\/span><\/a>, in a statement.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Including environmental health experts is crucial because zoonotic disease is significantly\u00a0impacted\u00a0by global warming.\u00a0<\/span>Climate change\u00a0<\/span>alters the conditions of ecosystems, which can change how far and how quickly diseases spread<\/span><\/a>. For example,\u00a0<\/span>one study found<\/span><\/a>\u00a0changing temperatures, wind patterns<\/span>\u00a0and humidity levels led certain birds to change their migratory patterns, leading to increased avian flu outbreaks.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, unpredictable weather events driven by climate instability will create conditions hospitable for disease-carrying insects and animals. The destruction of animal habitats and forests disrupts the delicate balance of local ecosystems, pushing species together. This leads to disease transmission when one species lacks immunity to germs carried by another.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Climate instability has long been a concern for farmers, who\u00a0famously \u201cmake hay when the sun shines\u201d\u00a0and depend heavily on the natural environment to sustain their livelihoods.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While Illinois is one of the first states to legislatively recognize the need for interagency collaboration to combat zoonotic disease, there is national and international attention on the connection between humans,\u00a0animals\u00a0and the environment.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In January\u00a02025, the CDC, U.S. Department\u00a0of Agriculture and U.S.\u00a0Department\u00a0of the Interior\u00a0released the National One Health Framework, which outlined\u00a0objectives\u00a0for addressing zoonotic disease over the next five years. New Jersey\u00a0<\/span>established a One Health Task Force in 2021<\/span><\/a>, and in November, wildlife, agricultural and public health agencies in Colorado\u00a0<\/span>signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance their data-sharing and collaboration<\/span><\/a>. Other states conduct One Health research at universities or support One Health initiatives within their public health or agriculture departments.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Illinois\u2019 One Health Commission will work with governments and agencies to\u00a0assist\u00a0with surveillance of disease outbreaks and implement new public health strategies for combatting zoonotic disease. According to the CDC, from 2019 to 2023 there was an\u00a0<\/span>average of 190 outbreaks and 5,304 cases of illness<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in Illinois each year for which the primary mode of transmission was through animal contact.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shirley and his wife raise sheep, alpacas, highland\u00a0cows\u00a0and chicken, so he sees the\u00a0myriad\u00a0infection risks of working on a farm firsthand.\u00a0To\u00a0best serve\u00a0farmers,\u00a0Shirley\u00a0said\u00a0he thinks\u00a0public health initiatives should start with farmers\u2019 associations and resource groups.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to animal-borne disease risks, he warns\u00a0that\u00a0farmers also face risks from dangerous pathogens, including fungal diseases, that live in soil and plant matter. These pathogens are churned into the atmosphere when farmers prepare their land for planting, he said.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shirley\u00a0said\u00a0he\u00a0hopes\u00a0One Health\u00a0initiatives\u00a0will place greater focus on animal health.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the surveillance and the interventions that have worked, that we now recognize as One Health, are to think about the animals, and how we can prevent the diseases in them, which might also\u00a0lessen\u00a0the impact on us,\u201d he said. \u201cTracking the same kinds of things in animals\u00a0(as in humans)\u00a0is an area that could probably be improved.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Csaba Varga, an associate professor at the University of Illinois\u00a0Urbana-Champaign,\u00a0<\/span>runs a lab<\/span><\/a>\u00a0focused on One Health. For one memorable project, his lab collaborated with veterinarians to create free and accessible resources for\u00a0<\/span>beef<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>swine<\/span><\/a>\u00a0producers to develop biosecurity programs in case of outbreaks. The resources include information sheets, guidance for developing farm protocols and outbreak contingency plans, and printable signage that farmers can use on their properties.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For non-farmers, Varga emphasizes conscientiousness when it comes to protecting oneself from zoonotic disease. He recommends simple measures like washing one\u2019s hands after visiting a petting zoo\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0avoiding kitchen cross-contamination.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe take-home message is that humans are not living alone,\u201d Varga said. \u201cWe are in an ecosystem and,\u00a0somehow, everything is connected.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kimberly Henrickson is a health, environment and science specialization graduate student at Medill.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Kimberly Henrickson Medill Reports\u00a0 There\u2019s\u00a0an old adage\u00a0in medicine: if you see a farmer enter the emergency room, you better pay\u00a0attention\u00a0and\u00a0act fast.\u00a0 Farmers are \u201cnotorious\u201d for not seeking medical care, said Dr. Dan Shirley, an infectious disease physician at University of Wisconsin Health. He attributes this to an ingrained do-it-yourself culture, as well as low […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1039,"featured_media":106629,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,5543,5555],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-and-science","category-msj26","category-spring-2026"],"yoast_head":"\nIllinois \u2018One Health\u2019 initiatives may protect farmers from climate, animal-related infectious disease risks - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/illinois-one-health-initiatives-may-protect-farmers-from-climate-animal-related-infectious-disease-risks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Illinois \u2018One Health\u2019 initiatives may protect farmers from climate, animal-related infectious disease risks - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Kimberly Henrickson Medill Reports\u00a0 There\u2019s\u00a0an old adage\u00a0in medicine: if you see a farmer enter the emergency room, you better pay\u00a0attention\u00a0and\u00a0act fast.\u00a0 Farmers are \u201cnotorious\u201d for not seeking medical care, said Dr. Dan Shirley, an infectious disease physician at University of Wisconsin Health. 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