Zoonosis or zoonotic Disease - What do we know?

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What is it?

A zoonosis is any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from animals to humans1.

It is estimated that, 60% of known infectious diseases and up to 75% of new or emerging infectious diseases are of zoonotic origin2, 3. It is estimated that, 2.5 billion cases of human illness and 2.7 million human deaths worldwide each year is associated with zoonosis4.

 

How do they spread?

Zoonotic diseases are caused by many different pathogens5. Most often than not, humans are accidental or spill-over hosts of a disease-ecological cycle sustained by animal hosts6.  Zoonotic diseases are usually spread at the human-animal-environment interface; where people and animals interact with each other in their shared environment. Zoonotic diseases can be foodborne, waterborne, or vector-borne, or transmitted through direct contact with animals, or indirectly by fomites or environmental contamination7. 

Photo Credit: MDPI

 

There are over 200 hundred types of known zoonotic disease1. Popularly known amongst them are the Ebola Virus Disease, Anthrax, Rabies, HIV, Salmonellosis, Avian Influenza, Covid-19 disease8.

 

Zoonosis and One Health.

The following are case studies that show a clear evidence that zoonosis at the human-animal-environmental interface and the fact that they are interconnected.

Case Study 1.

The Ebola virus found in the animal host can be transmitted to humans through the environment. The Virus in a bat host can be passed unto a human host when the fruit bat eats a portion of a fruit and that fruit is also eaten by a monkey or any animal in the forest and that animal in turn is hunted and eaten by humans. The virus is passed on through the fruit to the animal and finally to the human being.


 

 

 

 

Case Study 2.

The rabies virus can be found in the saliva or body fluids of its host (usually dogs). A dog bite from an infected dog can be a mode of transmission unto humans. In some settings, the emergence of rabies resulted in the indiscriminate killing of dogs in order to prevent the disease, which almost led to an extinction of the specie.

Photo Credit: Dreamstime.com

 

 

 

 

Case Study 3.

The Covid-19 virus can transmitted through body fluids. It can be passed on from humans to animals and vice-versa. When an infected person sneezes or coughs unto a surface anyone including pets in close contact with the surface can also be infected.

Photo Credit: Frontiers

 


 

 

 

 Referenced Materials for Further Reading

 


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