Zoonotic Diseases

Mosquitoes carry a variety of zoonotic diseases, such as malaria (Image Source: NPR)

Today's blog post continues along the theme of the Covid-19 inspired content, focusing today on what specifically the Covid-19 virus is classified as: a zoonotic disease.  Many of you may not be familiar with what a zoonotic disease is and how it is spread.  This blog post will cover the general information about zoonotic diseases to inform you about what they are, how they are spread, and how to avoid getting one.

Zoonotic diseases refers to a class of diseases that are transmitted through humans and animals.  They can be viral, bacterial, parasitic, or fungal, although typically they are only one, not multiple of these aforementioned types.  There are a variety of zoonotic diseases out there that you may already be familiar with, which include but are not limited to Lyme Disease, SARS, the swine and bird flus, rabies, Ebola, Rocky Mountain Spotted Sickness, malaria, anthrax, etc.  As you can see from the various types of zoonotic diseases previously named they vary in severity and lethality, so symptoms can be mild and annoying or drastic and dangerous.  Anyone can contract a zoonotic disease, but those most at risk are the very young and old, those who are immunocompromised, and those who are pregnant. 

Zoonotic diseases are spread through various types of contact with humans.  This contact can be direct (e.g. exposure to infected tissues, e.g. saliva or blood, through the direct handling of animals or animal remains) or indirect (i.e. exposure to objects or places where infected animals existed, e.g. aquariums or cages). Transmission can also occur through bites or consumption of infected animal products, which occurred with the Mad Cow epidemic several decades ago.  Consumption of contaminated water, which carries infected urine or feces, can also cause the spread of zoonotic diseases.

The World Health Organization notes that 61% of all human pathogens come from zoonotic infections, which demonstrates that this is a common but not necessarily troublesome problem.  Less than a handful of zoonotic diseases have led to public health emergencies, the latest of which is the Covid-19 pandemic.  Generally, zoonotic disease transmission is avoidable, and most common way is through washing one's hands and body with just soap and water.  Individuals are also encouraged to avoid being bitten by animals and insects through the practice of appropriate handling of them (or in the case of insects, use insect repellent).  Individuals should also avoid or abstain from consuming under cooked, raw, or unprocessed animal products, including unpasteurized milk.  

Again, generally zoonotic diseases are nothing to worried about.  Many are treatable and in some cases curable.  Unfortunately, though, some do not have any adequate treatment options, leaving the infected parties to manage the disease the best they can throughout their lifetimes.  Therefore, while zoonotic diseases are common they should be taken seriously to help all humans (and animals) globally.

Bibliography

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID). (2017, July 14). Zoonotic Diseases. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/zoonotic-diseases.html

Wells, D. K. (2017, July 20). Zoonosis. Retrieved from Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/zoonosis

World Health Organization. (2020). Neglected zoonotic diseases. Retrieved from World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/diseases/zoonoses/en/