Our shared burden of diseases

Summary At the end of the year that saw Ebola virus disease dominate the news, experts warn that other zoonoses also pose serious threats. To prepare for disease outbreaks and avoid global epidemics, health services and researchers may have to adopt a broader perspective, known as the ‘One Health' paradigm, which links the health of people, domestic and wild animals, and the ecosystems they inhabit. Michael Gross reports.