In May 2026, an entire cruise ship was turned into a quarantine station after several passengers fell ill with Andes virus, the only hantavirus species for which human-to-human transmission has been documented. Six months earlier, tens of thousands of cranes died from avian influenza, and hundreds of thousands of animals in poultry farms had to be culled. Headlines like these are no longer unusual. They show how closely the health of humans, animals, and the environment are linked. This is exactly where the One Health approach begins.

Experts are increasingly warning that pandemics are no longer rare exceptions. Climate change, environmental destruction, and globalization favor their emergence and spread. More than half of all known infectious agents originate in the animal kingdom, while factors such as fine particulate matter and extreme weather also influence the dynamics of infections. What is needed is an integrated approach that joins forces across research, clinical practice, and industry.

“With the One Health approach, we identify disease risks at an early stage because we systematically combine data from human medicine, veterinary medicine, and environmental science,” says Prof. Dr. med. Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit, head of the Arbovirology and Entomology Department at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine. “This allows us to detect pathogens more quickly, recognize ecological changes early, and take targeted action. At the same time, the approach brings experts from different disciplines together and makes prevention and crisis management more efficient.”

Diagnostics: the backbone of the One Health approach

Diagnostics form the basis of the One Health strategy: they make it possible to detect outbreaks early, trace transmission routes, and contain outbreaks in a targeted way. Key technologies include multiplex and next-generation sequencing methods, which can detect several pathogens at once and quickly identify new variants. This is complemented by data-driven, AI-supported analysis and networking systems that integrates global diagnostic data and surfaces risks in real time.

Molecular point-of-care test systems also play a central role. They can be used on site and deliver reliable results even with limited infrastructure. Outbreak management is further supported by continuous monitoring, for example through wastewater samples. At the same time, working with large volumes of data – from test and sequencing data to climate and mobility data from humans and animals – is becoming increasingly important.

The integrative approach of looking at the health of humans, animals, and the environment together, for example, makes it possible to develop new multi-species diagnostics that overcome the traditional boundaries between human, veterinary, and environmental diagnostics. Companies could use this to differentiate themselves strategically, gain access to new markets, and strengthen their reputation by contributing to global health security, explains Georg Eschenburg from Life Science Nord.

One Health players in the North

In the Hamburg region, excellent research in virology and infectious biology meets a strong health economy that develops innovative diagnostics systems and quickly brings them into practice. Research institutions such as the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, the Leibniz Institute of Virology, the Research Center Borstel, and the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) – as the federal research institute for animal health specializing in the prevention, diagnosis, and control of animal diseases – form the basis for networked health protection. The Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV) department “Viral Zoonoses – One Health” is fully committed to the One Health approach. It studies how influenza A viruses spread from animals to humans and which factors, such as pregnancy, obesity, or sex, increase the risk of severe disease. The goal is to derive new therapeutic approaches from this, also for other respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 or RSV.

Many of these actors are also involved in the nationwide Leibniz Lab “Pandemic Preparedness.” Here, 41 institutes are working toward a pandemic-resilient future. While GEOMAR, for example, focuses on the ocean as a key component of the health of humans, animals, and the environment, the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology and the German Climate Computing Center (DKRZ) provide climate models and data that can be used to analyze environmentally driven health and infection risks and derive forward-looking One Health measures. The Kiel Institute for the World Economy aims to bring economic knowledge and perspectives into the context of pandemics, for example by analyzing health risks.

Northern Germany combines excellent research institutions with a strong regional diagnostics and health industry. This combination creates ideal conditions for quickly turning scientific findings into practical applications.

Prof. Dr. med. Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit,
head of the Arbovirology and Entomology Department at Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)

Building on the research landscape, companies are working to advance the One Health approach. Panadea Diagnostics, for example, a BNITM spin-off from Hamburg, is developing ELISA tests for the serological detection of antibodies against WHO priority diseases such as Lassa fever, Marburg virus disease, and Ebola virus disease – across species for tropical and emerging infections. “Traditional tests are limited to humans or animals. Our platform changes that,” explains CEO Yang Liu.

Similarly, Lübeck-based EUROIMMUN Medizinische Labordiagnostika AG draws on more than 35 years of expertise: the company offers complete solutions for serological diagnostics, including test kits, devices, and software for pathogens such as dengue or Zika virus. “We are proud to develop diagnostic solutions for newly emerging infectious diseases and to maintain close scientific exchange with innovative partners such as Panadea,” says Fabian Lindhorst, head of infectious serology at EUROIMMUN. “Together, we are building a strong network that combines research, technologies, and expertise to make the best possible solutions for precise diagnostics available at an early stage.”

altona Diagnostics from Hamburg develops and markets PCR-based tests for detecting infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. One focus is responding quickly to current outbreaks. For example, altona Diagnostics ramped up production of its filovirus PCR test kits in direct response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda and launched a new real-time RT-PCR assay for the targeted detection of Bundibugyo virus RNA. PCR tests are also available for the currently circulating hantavirus. “Outbreaks like the current ones show that early and reliable PCR diagnostics are essential for implementing contact tracing and optimal patient management. They must be part of global health infrastructure, ideally before an emergency occurs,” says Managing Director Hans Kuhn. “In this way, altona Diagnostics makes an important contribution to the One Health approach.”

Beyond the healthcare sector, Northern Germany is also strongly represented in logistics and supply chains. In combination with the biotech sector, this creates major synergies here.

Yang Liu, CEO, Panadea Diagnostics

Driving innovation: HIHeal next level

To tap the potential of the One Health approach in the region, Life Science Nord launched the HIHeal innovation network. The consortium pools experts in infectious diseases and hygiene from across the North. Its focus is on linking science, business, and care to translate research results into market-ready solutions more quickly. Key innovation areas include the digitalization of infection prevention – for example through AI, sensor technology, and smart materials – molecular and point-of-care diagnostics, antimicrobial surfaces, and sustainable hygiene technologies.

“At HIHeal, we see the value of interdisciplinary collaboration across specialist boundaries – from science and clinical practice to industry – to bring innovations into practice more quickly and strengthen Northern Germany as a leading region for infection prevention,” emphasizes Dr. Georg Eschenburg, Life Science Nord representative in the project.

Whether it is the COVID-19 pandemic or antimicrobial resistance, many of the acute challenges in healthcare make it clear that a strict separation between humans, animals, and the environment has long been outdated. The One Health approach offers an integrated perspective. In Northern Germany, this ambition meets strong research and companies, supported by networks such as HIHeal. If this combination leads to robust shared data structures in the coming years, the region can become a model for integrated, preventive healthcare in Europe.

Text: Uta Mommert
Feature image: Unsplash+