From the Guidelines
The global incidence and prevalence of zoonotic diseases are increasing significantly, with approximately 200 known zoonotic diseases globally, and about 60% of emerging infectious diseases being zoonotic, as reported in recent studies 1. The rising trend of zoonotic diseases is largely attributed to factors such as increased global travel, urbanization, agricultural intensification, climate change, and deforestation which bring humans into closer contact with animal reservoirs. Notable examples of zoonotic diseases include COVID-19, Ebola, avian influenza, and Zika virus, which have significant impacts on human health. According to the World Health Organization, zoonotic diseases cause about 1 billion cases of illness in people and millions of deaths annually worldwide 1. Particularly concerning are viral zoonoses, which represent 75% of emerging infectious diseases. Hotspots for zoonotic disease emergence include tropical regions with high biodiversity and areas experiencing rapid land-use changes. Some key statistics on zoonotic diseases include:
- 61% of infectious organisms pathogenic to people are zoonotic 1
- 75% of emerging pathogens are zoonotic 1
- 150 human infectious disease outbreaks involving animals in public settings have been reported to CDC during 1996–2010 1 The true burden of zoonotic diseases is likely underestimated due to limited surveillance systems in many regions and difficulties in diagnosis, especially in resource-limited settings where many zoonotic diseases are endemic. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize measures to prevent and control zoonotic diseases, such as improving surveillance systems, enhancing public awareness, and implementing guidelines for reducing the risk of disease transmission from animals in public settings.
From the Research
Global Incidence and Prevalence of Zoonotic Diseases
- The global incidence and prevalence of zoonotic diseases are significant, with approximately 60% of human pathogens being zoonotic in origin 2, 3.
- It is estimated that 75% of emerging infectious diseases have a zoonotic nature worldwide 2.
- Zoonotic diseases pose a significant risk to human health, particularly in underdeveloped nations, and can have a substantial impact on healthcare systems 2, 4.
- The spread of zoonotic diseases is associated with various factors, including environmental factors, climate change, animal health, globalization, urbanization, and travel 2, 3.
Emerging Zoonotic Diseases
- Emerging zoonotic diseases, such as COVID-19, have had a significant impact on global health, with millions of cases and deaths reported worldwide 5, 3.
- Other emerging zoonotic diseases, such as nipah virus, monkeypox, and langya virus, have also been reported, highlighting the need for preparedness and control measures 5.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of One Health measures in preventing and controlling zoonotic diseases 3.
Surveillance and Control of Zoonotic Diseases
- Effective surveillance of endemic zoonoses at the animal level is crucial to assessing the disease burden and risk, and providing early warning to prevent epidemics in animals and spillover to humans 6.
- A multi-criteria qualitative approach has been used to prioritize and characterize zoonoses for which surveillance in domestic animals is important to prevent human infections at a global scale 6.
- Thirty-two zoonoses have been prioritized, all of which have multi-regional spread, cause unexceptional human infections, and have domestic animal hosts as important sources or sentinels of zoonotic infections 6.