Six out of 10 emerging infectious diseases come from animals

Zoonosis Day: six out of 10 emerging infectious diseases come from animals

Human activity and ecosystems subjected to stress have favored new conditions for the emergence

Health.- The Human activity and ecosystems under stress have favored new conditions for the emergence and spread of human and animal pathologiesIn fact, 60 percent of emerging infectious diseases are of animal origin.

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200 types of zoonoses

This July 6th is the International Day of Zoonosis, defined by the WHO as a disease or infection that is naturally transmitted from animals to humans. There are more than 200 known types of zoonoses.

And pathogens can spread to humans”through any point of contact” with domestic, agricultural or wild animalsEFE recalls.

These are the markets where meat or by-products of wild animals are sold. “particularly dangerous” due to the large number of new or unidentified pathogens known to exist in some wild animal populations.

According to the WHO, farm workers in areas where antibiotics are widely used for farm animals are at higher risk. People living in areas adjacent to wild areas or in semi-urban areas are also at higher risk, due to the presence of rats, foxes or raccoons.

Non-foodborne zoonoses

The transmission mechanisms are very varied. Depending on these, they are grouped into non-foodborne and foodborne zoonoses.

The first, explains the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, are diseases transmitted from animals to humans whose contagion is not strictly or essentially animal-to-human foode. Among them are: rabies, psittacosis (through contact with sick birds), or those transmitted by mosquitoes such as dengue, leishamaniasis, or ticks, such as Lyme disease.

The food ones

In foodborne zoonoses, the transmission route is “essentially or fundamentally food-related”: that is, it is associated with food consumption, describes Agriculture.

And it refers to diseases transmitted by bacteria such as salmonellosis, listeriosisamong others. But also for parasites such as trichinosis or anisakiosis.

One health

The WHO stresses that diseases transmitted from animals to humans are a “major public health problem” worldwide. cause disruptions in the production and trade of animal products intended for food and other uses.

Remember also that the pandemic of the Covid-19 has highlighted the need for a global framework to improve surveillance and a “more holistic and comprehensive” system.

That is why it is committed to the “One Health” approach, whichIt aims to balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. and thus prevent the transmission of diseases and the emergence of new ones.

And they maintain that address the links between human, animal and environmental health, This approach is conceived as “a transformative approach to improving global health.”