WOAH Flags Alarming Rise in Infectious Animal Diseases

• 27 May 2025

On 23rd May 2025, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) released its first State of the World’s Animal Health report, revealing a sharp global rise in infectious animal diseases — nearly half of which can jump to humans.

Key Points

• Zoonotic Threats: 47% of animal diseases tracked from 2005–2023 were zoonotic, capable of spreading to humans, posing a growing risk to public health.
• Global Outbreaks: 2024–25 saw major outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF), avian influenza, foot and mouth disease, and peste des petits ruminants across new regions and species.
• ASF Disease Jump: In Oct 2024, ASF made a dramatic leap of 1,800 km to Sri Lanka, marking the year’s biggest disease jump; 6,807 outbreaks were recorded across 16 countries in 2024.
• Avian Flu in Mammals: Avian influenza affected more non-poultry species (55) than poultry (42) for the first time, with mammalian outbreaks doubling in 2024, increasing fears of viral adaptation.
• Climate and Trade Pressures: Changing climate patterns and expanding global trade are accelerating disease spread, threatening food systems, ecosystems, and economic stability.
• Global Food Security at Risk: WOAH warned that unchecked disease expansion is destabilising agrifood systems, with major implications for food security, biodiversity, and development.