The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) stated in its first State of the World’s Animal Health report, published on May 23, 2025, that infectious animal diseases are expanding globally, with nearly half (47%) of them having the potential for zoonotic transmission. According to the paper, illnesses like foot and mouth disease (FMD), avian influenza, African Swine Fever (ASF), and peste des petits ruminants (PPR) are becoming more widespread and severe, endangering biodiversity, public health, and global food security by upsetting agrifood systems. Major outbreaks in 2024 and early 2025 have sparked calls for better disease management techniques and increased international cooperation due to climate change, growing international trade, and changing pathogen dynamics.

A Significant Disease Jump: African Swine Fever’s Global Reach

A highly contagious hemorrhagic disease that can be nearly lethal in specific swine outbreaks, African Swine Fever (ASF) has become a serious worldwide danger. The most notable “disease jump” occurred in October 2024 when ASF made an incredible 1,800-kilometer leap from the closest known epidemic zone to Sri Lanka. Early in 2024, ASF outbreaks were also recorded in Albania and Montenegro. In 2024, the WOAH documented 6,807 outbreaks in 16 countries, which led to 195,191 illnesses and 222,174 domestic pig animal losses. Since its first spread to Georgia in 2007, ASF has had a significant negative impact on the global pork industry in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas. As reservoirs, wild boars make control measures more challenging since it is hard to keep an eye on and manage their numbers, exacerbating the fact that infectious animal diseases are expanding globally and putting farming communities worldwide in danger.

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Unprecedented Battle Against Avian Influenza

Over 630 million birds have been killed or culled due to avian influenza, also known as bird flu, in the last 20 years, causing unheard-of destruction. With 2,570 outbreaks in non-poultry animals and 943 in poultry spanning 55 and 42 nations, the virus expanded to new areas and species in 2024, including mammals. Mammal outbreaks alarmingly increased from 459 in 2023 to 1,022 in 2024, indicating possible adaptation to humans. Infections in animals, such as dogs, cats, and cattle, indicate an increasing likelihood of cross-species transmission. The paper cautions about the virus’s capacity to develop even while the risk of human infection is still low. Proactive approaches help reduce this terrible disease, as evidenced by France’s 2023 nationwide duck vaccination campaign, which decreased outbreaks to just 10 from a projected 700.

Prevalence of Other Major Diseases

Infectious animal diseases are expanding globally, and the WOAH report also describes the spread of other important diseases. In 18 countries, there were 216 occurrences of foot and mouth disease (FMD); Germany reported its first case in 1988, while the EU witnessed its first in 2011. New serotypes were reported from South Africa, Iraq, and Kuwait, demonstrating the disease’s dynamic character. Lumpy skin disease first appeared in northern Africa and Japan, affecting 11 countries with 319 incidents. By January 2025, outbreaks of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), which had previously only been found in the Global South, had returned to Europe, this time in Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary. While the New World screwworm generated 8,363 outbreaks in seven nations, with Mexico reporting its first cases in December 2024, the bluetongue virus recorded 3,626 outbreaks in 24 countries. Increased trade and climate change were identified as significant factors that accelerated the spread and occurrence of these illnesses in various geographical areas.

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Addressing the Global Challenge

The WOAH report emphasizes that although vaccination, better hygiene, and biosecurity measures can prevent many diseases, access to vaccines is still unequal worldwide. Research, production, distribution, and uptake issues hamper effective disease control. “Along with other control measures, the global community must ensure equitable access to safe and effective vaccines and strengthen international cooperation to limit the spread of highly damaging diseases like avian influenza, FMD, and PPR,” stated WOAH’s director general, Emmanuelle Soubeyran. The report urges more international efforts to address the underlying factors that contribute to the spread of disease, such as changes in pathogen dynamics brought on by climate change and the demands of global trade. The international community can lessen the effects of these diseases on biodiversity, public health, and food security by emphasizing fair access to vaccines and encouraging cooperative approaches, guaranteeing a more robust future for global agrifood systems.

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