Читать книгу Honey Bee Medicine for the Veterinary Practitioner - Группа авторов - Страница 13

The One Health concept is not new to veterinary medicine, but it is most timely now that we are facing multiple critical issues that involve our profession. Veterinary Medicine's greatest contributions to One Health have been in public health, particularly emerging zoonotic diseases, but environmental health has been largely neglected and requires our equal attention, now more than ever. Honey bees, native bees, bumble bees, and many other pollinators are the biosensors of our ecosystem health. Insects are the most diverse multicellular group of organisms on the planet – over one million species have been described, so far. And while the sheer biodiversity of insect species helps to ensure the group's survival, many of our pollinator species are in jeopardy. The decline of bees, as well as other animal pollinators, are in the public's consciousness, largely due to scientists' warning and media attention. Our ecosystems are out of balance. Habitat loss, pests and pesticide use, emerging diseases, and the extremes of global climate change all contribute to the instabilities we are experiencing. Veterinarians are trained problem solvers, but first we must recognize the problem. It is time our profession acknowledges and works to mitigate the challenges that climate change is having on animals and plant life, on agriculture, on zoonotic diseases, and on our environment. Mother Nature is relentlessly forcing us to face the threats of climate change and we must pursue all efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.