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4-H’s Healthy Approach to Zoonotic Diseases ….because “People and Pigs get the Flu”
What is Zoonosis?
Every year, people get sick
from diseases spread between animals and people, or zoonotic
diseases. Along with pets and zoos, local
and state fairs are places of high interaction between people and animals. Some
instances of outbreaks related to salmonella, E. coli, and flu can be traced
back to exposure at fairs. Fairs provide a spot to gather for youth who exhibit
animals. This increases the potential of disease exposure, yet also provides a
venue for educating both exhibitors and the public about these diseases and
disease prevention strategies.
 Federal Partnership Successes
Since this is National
Public Health Week, it seems like the
perfect time to highlight some of the zoonotic prevention work taking
place. A three-way partnership was
developed between 4-H National Headquarters at NIFA, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address issues of zoonotic disease,
especially in the context of youth exhibitors at local and state fairs. Through
this partnership, expertise and resources were contributed to create
educational and promotional materials to use with youth, youth serving
organizations, and fair associations to prevent, identify and respond to zoonotic
issues. Additional partnerships with Cooperative Extension, State
Veterinarians, and State Departments of Public Health were used in the
implementation of these new resources.
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 This collaborative approach
has led to the development of the following:
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Strategic
promotion of a compendium of resources for minimizing transmission of influenza amongst
swine exhibitors at exhibitions.
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Friends Magazine,
Be a Zoonotic Disease Detective edition created by Georgia 4-H in partnership with CDC
and funded in part by APHIS, has been adopted by more than a dozen other
states.
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A graphic novella,
The Junior Disease Detectives, that introduces youth to not only zoonosis but also
careers related to epidemiology.
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 The response to these
materials prompted grant funding from the CDC and the Council for State
and Territorial Epidemiologists
(CSTE) via the Influenza Education among Youth in Agriculture Pilot
Project to promote One
Health collaboration between federal
and state public health and animal health authorities and state youth agriculture
groups. This innovative program educates youth about influenza and other zoonotic
infections, delivers disease prevention and mitigation messages, and
strengthens One Health networks among state human and animal health departments
and agricultural communities across rural America. This program has resulted in collaborative
partnerships with 4-H programs in several states.
·
Youth in Animal
Agriculture: Excellence in Exhibition – Iowa State Center for Food Security
& Public Health
o
Online course
o
In-person course
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Animal Science
Anywhere – Michigan State University Extension
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Lesson plans and materials
An existing partnership with the Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) was expanded to
address Zika, the mosquito-borne illness, and co-create a toolkit for teens and
adults to use for the prevention of and response to the Zika outbreak. The 4-H Community Health Outreach Toolkit: Responding to Mosquito-Borne
Illnesses, released in June 2016, is posted on the 4-H
National Headquarters website and has been promoted through multiple webinars,
e-newsletters, and on social media.
 Future Needs
The Association of Schools of Public Health projects the need for 150,000 more public health
workers by 2020 and estimates that schools will need to produce three times as
many graduates over the next decade to meet the demand. Public health
professionals focus on the health of communities, searching for ways to improve
the overall health of a population. They emphasize prevention of common health
problems and emergency preparedness in the event of a natural or manmade
disaster, disease outbreak or other crisis.
4-H Answers the Call - Youth as Public Safety Leaders
The fourth “H” stands for Health. Health and well-being has
always been part of 4-H’s positive youth development approach. 4-H prepares and
empowers youth to be change agents within communities. Youth see a need and seek to make a difference.
Youth in 4-H desire to make positive impacts in
their community, and training youth as public health educators is one way to utilize
their energy and talent with the community’s need for public health safety.
These youth opportunities are also important skill building activities for
career readiness. There is a wealth of research
that indicates one of the greatest need of companies looking to hire is people
with strong skills in working with others, communication, taking initiative,
and other “soft” skills.
The development of these intra- and inter-personal skills, creating connections
with the community, and providing experiences with real-world application all
align with the principles of learning in 4-H. 4-H National Headquarters is
proud to partner with both other federal agencies and the land-grant extension
system to provide opportunities for youth to serve as public health safety
leaders in their communities.
4-H Inspires Kids To Do!
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NIFA’s mission is to invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and extension to solve societal challenges. NIFA’s investments in transformative science directly support the long-term prosperity and global preeminence of U.S. agriculture.
USDA is an equal opportunity lender, provider, and employer.
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Headquarters Contact Listing
Lisa A. Lauxman, Director llauxman@nifa.usda.gov | Jim Kahler jkahler@nifa.usda.gov
Amy McCune amccune@nifa.usda.gov | Douglas Swanson dswanson@nifa.usda.gov
Bonita Williams bwilliams@nifa.usda.gov | Bianca Johnson bjohnson@nifa.usda.gov
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