80 Personal Reflections

Eva Baker- 

This project gave me a much deeper understanding of zoonotic diseases and how they impact public health on a global scale. As someone who works in a hospital setting, I see firsthand how these diseases affect real people, not just in textbooks or news reports. We frequently have to take extra precautions, like wearing full PPE, when treating patients suspected of

having zoonotic infections. The photo I’m submitting with this reflection shows what that looks like. It’s not just about protecting ourselves, it’s about protecting everyone around us.

Learning about the One Health approach helped me connect what I experience at work with the broader systems that influence disease outbreaks. I didn’t realize how deeply public health is tied to agriculture, climate change, and even urban development until we started this project. It made me think about how important cross-sector collaboration is, especially in future roles I hope to have in health administration.

Working on this also made me reflect on the fragility of our surveillance systems and how gaps in reporting or preparedness can let diseases like measles reemerge. That’s not just a data problem, it’s a real threat to vulnerable people in our communities.

I’m walking away from this project with a new appreciation for prevention, education, and the role administrators play in protecting public health. Everything is connected. What we do in hospitals, how we raise animals, how we build our cities, and now I see how I can be part of making that system stronger. (EB)

Nate Connolly- 

Just a few years ago, the Covid-19 changed the lives of almost everybody across the globe. A human-animal interaction had allowed a virus to enter the human population. Millions of people lost their lives due to the spread of this disease, and billions more were affected by its spread and the policies that were enacted in an effort to reduce viral transmission. As the pandemic wore on, I became more and more interested in the scientists that were working to determine the infectious mechanism of the virus and potential ways to stop its spread. Watching the evolution of public policy (quarantine, masking etc.) and vaccine development in real time inspired me to pursue a career in science in college. (NC)

As a biology major and public health student, I’ve been exposed to different zoonotic diseases throughout my college career. I’m very familiar with many of the most common zoonoses, the major routes of transmission, and the mechanisms through which zoonoses affect our bodies. Working on this project gave me a much deeper understanding of the frameworks that are in place for detecting, reducing, and treating zoonotic disease spread. I also was fascinated by how human behavior can influence our exposure to zoonotic disease. (NC)

During this project, my sections focused a lot on how urbanization, trade, and climate change were leading to increases in zoonotic disease spread. I also discussed how zoonoses can affect our lives outside of our health, causing economic impacts that can reduce our quality of life. These topics allowed me to broaden my knowledge, focusing on why zoonoses impact some populations more than others, and how the actions of some (deforestation, bushmeat hunting, etc.) can have severe impacts on our entire population. (NC)

I believe that completing this project allowed me to look at zoonotic disease from a much more comprehensive lens. Instead of focusing on the disease alone (the viral or bacterial particle), I allowed myself to learn about the population dynamics that encouraged the disease to spread, especially among the most vulnerable populations. I researched some of the most serious zoonoses and learned about how they can affect individuals, communities, and entire regions of the world. Working on this project also gave me a lot of hope for our ability to deal with zoonoses. I learned about the scientific techniques that allow us to trace disease spread, HAART therapies that have allowed individuals with HIV to lead normal lives, and regulations that limit the trade of potential disease-carrying animals. Overall, I am very grateful for the knowledge I gained during this project and the lens that I am now able to look at public health issues through. (NC)