From the Guidelines
Approximately 60% of all infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic, resulting from the transmission of pathogens from animals. This estimate is based on previous studies, including those cited by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2016 1. Zoonotic diseases can be transmitted through direct animal attack, increased bushmeat hunting, wet markets, poaching, illegal wildlife trade, or the enhanced pathogen hosting capability of wild animals, all of which are indirectly promoted due to forest fragmentation.
Key Points to Consider
- The transmission of zoonotic diseases can be increased by habitat destruction, climate change, and increased human-animal contact through agricultural practices, wildlife trade, and urban expansion.
- Understanding the zoonotic origin of diseases is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies, including improved surveillance at the human-animal interface, better hygiene practices when handling animals, and more comprehensive monitoring of wildlife populations for potential emerging pathogens.
- Proper forest management planning and reasonable decisions need to be taken and should be integrated with the research on zoonotic pathogen transmission for minimizing future disease spreads, as highlighted in the study published in the Journal of Environmental Management in 2021 1.
Factors Contributing to Zoonotic Disease Transmission
- Deforestation and degradation of natural habitats, such as forests, can lead to a reduction in buffer zones that segregate humans from animals, thereby increasing the probability of the spread of zoonotic pathogens between different species of animals as well as between animals and humans.
- The loss of tropical forests has been shown to elevate the risk of physical interactions between people and wild primates and the viruses they carry, as investigated in studies focusing on various parts of Africa, such as Uganda and Côte d’Ivoire 1.
From the Research
Zoonotic Diseases Proportion
- More than 60% of human pathogens are zoonotic in origin, including a wide variety of bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, parasites, and other pathogens 2, 3, 4, 5.
- Approximately 75% of emerging infectious diseases in humans have been reported to originate from zoonotic pathogens 3, 4, 5.
- Zoonotic diseases account for over 60% of cases of human illness, and are a major burden to the livestock industry 4.
Emerging and Re-Emerging Zoonotic Diseases
- The past decade has seen an increase in emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases, with the 2019 novel coronavirus epidemic being a significant example 2, 3.
- Factors such as climate change, urbanization, animal migration and trade, travel and tourism, vector biology, anthropogenic factors, and natural factors have influenced the emergence, re-emergence, distribution, and patterns of zoonoses 2.
- The implementation of One Health measures is highly recommended for the effective prevention and control of possible zoonosis 2, 3.