Croatia Faces Rising Zoonotic Threats as WHO Urges One Health Surveillance Overhaul

A WHO-backed report warns that Croatia’s fragmented surveillance systems and climate-driven rise in zoonotic diseases, responsible for over 40,000 reported cases in the past decade, pose growing risks to public health and economic stability. It calls for stronger One Health governance, integrated surveillance, and greater public engagement to improve outbreak preparedness, protect tourism and agriculture, and create investment opportunities in health security and digital surveillance.

Croatia is facing growing risks from zoonotic diseases—illnesses that spread between animals and humans- as climate change, environmental changes, and fragmented surveillance systems increase the likelihood of future outbreaks. A new World Health Organization (WHO)-supported evidence brief warns that the country needs urgent reforms to strengthen disease monitoring and response mechanisms.

The Croatian Institute of Public Health developed the report in partnership with WHO, Germany's Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, the Croatian Veterinary Institute, the University of Zagreb, and other national institutions. It highlights that zoonotic diseases account for around 60% of all infectious diseases worldwide and 75% of emerging infectious diseases, making them a major public health and economic concern.

Croatia reported more than 40,000 zoonotic disease cases between 2013 and 2023, with campylobacteriosis accounting for over 16,000 cases and salmonellosis for more than 13,000 cases. These figures underline the continued burden of foodborne diseases across the country.

Surveillance Gaps Leave Croatia Vulnerable

Despite having surveillance systems in place, Croatia's monitoring framework remains fragmented. Human health agencies, veterinary authorities, environmental institutions, and agricultural bodies often work separately, limiting the exchange of information and slowing outbreak detection.

The report notes that Croatia lacks a formal national One Health coordination mechanism, which would enable real-time collaboration across sectors. This gap delays the identification of disease threats and weakens preparedness efforts.

The challenge is becoming more urgent as vector-borne diseases expand. Croatia experienced a major West Nile virus outbreak in 2018, resulting in 63 confirmed cases and four deaths. In 2024, authorities also confirmed locally transmitted dengue infections, showing that diseases traditionally associated with tropical regions are beginning to establish themselves in Europe. Another concern is haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which caused 334 reported cases in 2021 and remains a recurring public health threat.

Economic Risks Extend Beyond the Health Sector

The report argues that zoonotic disease outbreaks pose serious economic risks. Delayed detection can increase healthcare costs, disrupt supply chains, reduce workforce productivity, and damage investor confidence.

For Croatia, tourism is particularly vulnerable. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the country recorded an 8.4% decline in GDP in 2020, one of the largest contractions in the European Union, largely due to the collapse of international tourism. Future disease outbreaks could produce similar economic shocks.

Agriculture, livestock production, food processing, transport, and hospitality sectors are also exposed. Outbreaks affecting animals can lead to trade restrictions, production losses, and higher compliance costs, creating broader development challenges for the national economy.

Stronger One Health Systems Could Deliver Long-Term Benefits

The report proposes three key policy actions. First, Croatia should establish stronger One Health governance through legal frameworks, formal coordination structures, and clear accountability mechanisms linking health, veterinary, agricultural, and environmental sectors.

Second, it recommends strengthening integrated surveillance systems and laboratory capacity. International evidence cited in the report shows that integrated surveillance can improve disease detection sensitivity by nearly 80%, increase data quality to around 87%, and significantly improve the speed of outbreak response.

Third, the report calls for greater public awareness and community engagement. A better understanding of zoonotic diseases can improve prevention, encourage early reporting of unusual disease events, and reduce misinformation during outbreaks.

These reforms would not only strengthen public health security but also improve economic resilience and reduce the long-term costs of disease outbreaks.

Opportunities for Development Partners and Private Investors

The findings create important opportunities for development agencies, international donors, and private-sector stakeholders. The report identifies significant needs in laboratory infrastructure, genomic surveillance, digital health systems, workforce training, and disease intelligence platforms.

Development partners can support investments in surveillance modernization, capacity building, and regional health security initiatives. International organizations and development banks may also play a key role in financing integrated One Health programmes.

For businesses, particularly those in biotechnology, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, data analytics, and digital health, the growing focus on disease preparedness creates new market opportunities. Demand is expected to increase for diagnostic tools, laboratory services, pathogen sequencing technologies, artificial intelligence-based disease forecasting systems, and interoperable health information platforms.

The report concludes that strengthening One Health systems is no longer only a public health priority. It is increasingly an economic, development, and investment necessity. Countries that invest early in integrated surveillance, coordinated governance, and community engagement will be better positioned to prevent future outbreaks, protect economic growth, and build resilience against emerging health threats.