Zoonotic diseases—a challenge in the making since the dawn of time

Animals are extremely beneficial to humans. They are a source of food, a mode of transport, and a major global industry. Animals provide food, fiber, livelihoods, travel, sport, companionship, and education for people across the globe. Human contact with animals is nearly inevitable. We come in contact with animals as pets while visiting zoos and as feral and stray animals everywhere we go.
Although most of us cherish animal contact, sometimes, we end up contracting infectious diseases from them. These diseases are called zoonotic diseases.

Zoonotic diseases are those diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans. Both animals and humans contribute greatly to the spread of these diseases. Over 75% of all new or emerging diseases first originate in animals before being transferred to humans. Additionally, 60% of known infectious diseases are zoonotic.

Diseases such as rabies, ringworm, and salmonella are all zoonotic. These diseases are spread when animals come into contact with humans at farms, as pets, at veterinary hospitals, etc. Many of these diseases are highly infectious and some of them have a high mortality rate if left untreated. There are vaccines available for many of these diseases today and those vaccines have significantly brought down the mortality rates associated with these diseases, and in many cases have even helped us eradicate them.

Many devastating epidemics throughout our history have resulted from zoonosis including the Spanish influenza outbreak of 1919, which originated in birds, and the bubonic plague of the 1300s which was spread by rats A recent example of an infectious disease that has zoonotic origins is the novel coronavirus. This disease has been declared a pandemic by the WHO and has already infected millions and claimed over 500,000 lives. As this zoonotic disease continues to spread unabated across the world, efforts are on around the world to create an effective vaccine for this disease.

The first vaccine against a zoonotic disease was administered by Louis Pasteur on July 6, 1885. This event led to a reduction in mortality rates of zoonotic diseases around the world. Pasteur worked tirelessly to find a cure for these diseases and was a major proponent of en-masse vaccination or community inoculations to curb the spread of these diseases. The widespread acceptance of community vaccinations has particularly helped to reduce the mortality rates of these diseases amongst the elderly and young children, who were most susceptible to them.

There are many options available today that can help us to stay safe from zoonotic diseases such as the novel coronavirus. PPE kits, masks, gloves, protective clothing, insect repellents, sprays, and vaccines can help minimize the impact of these zoonotic diseases and help humans lead safer healthier lives.
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