Zoonotic diseases—those that are transmitted from animals to humans—are among the most significant health challenges of our time. From COVID-19 to recurring outbreaks of avian influenza and Rift Valley fever, these pathogens illustrate how fragile the boundary between animal and human health can be. Climate change, global trade, shifting land use, and the intensification of livestock production all magnify the risks. Surveillance has therefore become a public health necessity. Detecting emerging threats early, understanding their epidemiology, and mobilizing rapid responses can mean the difference between a contained outbreak and a global crisis.
The question is not only whether we have the right technologies to detect these threats, but also whether the institutions and systems that handle surveillance—particularly veterinary laboratories—are equipped to rise to the challenge.
Progress in Surveillance of Zoonotic Diseases
The National One Health Framework to Address Zoonotic Diseases and Advance Public Health Awareness in the United States (NOHF-Zoonoses), 2025–2029, is a landmark initiative launched in January 2025 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). It provides a structured roadmap for preventing and managing zoonotic diseases while strengthening preparedness for future pandemics. At its core, the framework promotes a collaborative One Health approach, where human, animal, and environmental health systems are integrated to detect threats early, coordinate responses, and safeguard public health.
This initiative reflects a broader global momentum. Over the last decade, many countries have aligned their national surveillance strategies with the One Health concept, recognizing that no single sector can address zoonotic threats in isolation. Capacity-building programs in Latin America, Africa, and Asia are helping expand diagnostic networks, improve veterinary reporting, and strengthen environmental monitoring. These efforts are not just national projects but parts of a larger, interconnected web of surveillance that now stretches across borders.
At the heart of this progress is innovation in surveillance methods and tools. Traditional case-counting and reporting are being complemented by forward-looking approaches that aim to anticipate outbreaks before they occur. For example, environmental surveillance is evolving beyond wastewater monitoring of human viruses to include signals from animal pathogens—such as avian influenza strains circulating in wild bird populations. By integrating wildlife observations, livestock density data, and pathogen circulation patterns, researchers are now producing fine-scale risk maps that pinpoint where spillovers are most likely. These maps allow governments and NGOs to concentrate resources on hotspots, such as shared water sources where migratory birds and cattle mingle.
The technological toolkit for surveillance is also expanding rapidly. High-throughput molecular assays, portable genomic sequencers, and biosensors are cutting down the time needed for pathogen detection and confirmation. Artificial intelligence is being tested to interpret vast and complex datasets, including satellite imagery of animal migration, livestock trade flows, and diagnostic imaging. Machine learning models can flag subtle shifts in animal movement or health indicators that might otherwise go unnoticed until an outbreak is well underway. Surveillance is no longer only about identifying cases after they emerge; it is increasingly about forecasting risk and enabling proactive intervention.
International collaboration remains central to these advancements. A notable example is the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) initiative, ZooSursy, launched to strengthen systematic monitoring of zoonotic pathogens on a global scale. Although still in its early stages, ZooSursy underscores a vital reality: zoonotic diseases cannot be managed in silos. An outbreak linked to a rural farm in South America or a wet market in Asia can ripple across continents within days. Strengthening cross-border data sharing, harmonizing surveillance protocols, and ensuring rapid communication channels are therefore essential for global security.
Taken together, these developments illustrate a powerful trend: zoonotic disease surveillance is shifting from reactive to proactive, from fragmented to integrated, and from local to truly global. Despite these advances, challenges remain.
Surveillance systems are unevenly distributed, with rural and resource-limited settings often struggling to report in real time. Data fragmentation persists, with veterinary, public health, and environmental records often maintained in separate systems. And even when new tools exist, gaps in laboratory capacity or human resources can undermine their potential. Addressing these weaknesses requires strengthening the core of surveillance systems: the veterinary diagnostic laboratories.
The Role of Veterinary Laboratories in Zoonotic Disease Surveillance
Veterinary laboratories already serve as the backbone of surveillance systems. Goal #6 from the CDC National One Health Framework (2025–2029) places a strong emphasis on strengthening veterinary and One Health laboratory capacity. The CDC prioritizes trained personnel, advanced diagnostic technologies, better coordination, research, and reporting to ensure faster detection and response to zoonotic diseases.
In countries like Brazil, veterinary diagnostic laboratories have demonstrated their importance not just in detecting disease but also in supporting postgraduate education and research in animal health. These labs anchor surveillance systems, combining technical expertise with institutional memory to recognize patterns of emerging threats. The breadth of their contributions is significant. Laboratories confirm outbreaks of avian influenza in poultry flocks, monitor antimicrobial resistance trends in bacterial pathogens, and participate in international ring trials to harmonize diagnostic protocols. They also act as reference centres during crises, providing rapid turnaround results that guide containment measures. In many cases, these laboratories are the only entities capable of bridging surveillance across sectors, linking the farmer in the field to the policymaker at the national level.
Yet veterinary labs face real obstacles.
The Need to Digitize and Automate Laboratory Processes
Many labs operate with limited resources, outdated equipment, or insufficiently trained staff. Data management is often manual, relying on paper logs or fragmented spreadsheets, which slows down reporting and increases the risk of errors. Protocols can vary significantly between labs, making it difficult to compare data across regions or integrate results into global surveillance systems. Even turnaround times are constrained by logistical issues—samples collected in remote areas may take days to reach central laboratories, eroding the value of rapid diagnostics.
To meet the demands of modern zoonotic disease surveillance, veterinary laboratories must evolve. Traditional workflows are too slow, too error-prone, and too fragmented to keep pace with the scale and complexity of today’s threats. Digitization and automation are therefore prerequisites for effective surveillance.
The Role of Veterinary Lab Management Software in Supporting Zoonotic Disease Surveillance
Central to digitization is the adoption of robust Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS). A veterinary LIMS provides the backbone for managing the vast amount of data that flows through a laboratory, from field metadata to molecular test results.
A well-designed LIMS ensures that every sample is traceable from the moment it is collected. It links specimens to metadata such as species, geographic location, collection date, and suspected pathogen. This contextual information is what transforms a positive laboratory result into a meaningful surveillance signal, revealing not only that a pathogen is present but also where and in which host.
Beyond tracking, veterinary lab management software integrates directly with instruments, automating the transfer of data and reducing delays. They support inventory management, helping laboratories monitor reagent stocks and anticipate shortages—an especially critical function during outbreaks when supply chains are strained. Quality control checkpoints can be built directly into workflows, ensuring that assays meet performance standards and that deviations are flagged for review.
Perhaps most importantly, a veterinary LIMS fosters data interoperability. By using standardized data formats and APIs, these systems can share results seamlessly with national surveillance networks, public health databases, and international reporting platforms. This integration turns isolated laboratory findings into part of a larger mosaic of surveillance, aligning with the One Health principle that zoonotic disease control requires collaboration across sectors.
Modern LIMS are increasingly cloud-based, enabling secure access across multiple laboratories or even countries. This is vital in regions where smaller laboratories must contribute to national or regional surveillance systems. Cloud-based systems also allow for real-time dashboards, trend analysis, and geospatial mapping, offering early warning signals that can trigger preventive measures before outbreaks spread.
Conclusion
The threat of zoonotic diseases is neither hypothetical nor distant—it is an ongoing reality with profound implications for public health, trade, and global stability. Surveillance is our first line of defense, and veterinary laboratories form the foundation of that defense. Strengthening their role through investment in staff training, infrastructure, and innovative technologies is essential.
Digitization, automation, and the adoption of a robust veterinary lab management software represent the next leap forward. A LIMS transforms laboratories from isolated diagnostic centres into integrated hubs of surveillance intelligence. They ensure that data are accurate, timely, and shareable—qualities that are indispensable in preventing the next pandemic.
Veterinary labs have always been critical to animal and human health. By embracing innovation, they can now become engines of predictive surveillance, helping societies move from being reactive to being proactive. The global health community cannot afford to miss this opportunity.