Environmental determinants of health in One Health are best described as...

• A. Environmental conditions such as water, air, soil, and habitats influence exposure, transmission, and health outcomes across humans, animals, and ecosystems.
• B. Only genetic factors determine disease risk.
• C. They are irrelevant to cross-species health threats.
• D. They are fixed and do not change with interventions.

Answer: (A)

Environmental determinants of health in One Health focus on how the surroundings shape exposure, transmission, and outcomes across humans, animals, and ecosystems. Environmental conditions like water quality, air, soil, waste, climate, and habitats influence where pathogens survive, how they move, and how often contact occurs among people, animals, and wildlife. Because species share the same environment, changes to water sources, pollution, land use, or habitat disruption can affect disease risk across multiple hosts and the broader ecosystem. This is why improving sanitation, safe water, pollution control, vector habitat management, and habitat conservation can reduce transmission and improve health outcomes for all. The other options miss this interconnected and modifiable environmental context: genetics play a role in susceptibility but don’t define disease risk across species; environmental determinants are relevant to cross-species threats; and environments can change with interventions, so they aren’t fixed.