World Zoonoses Day is marked on July 6 every yr to lift awareness in regards to the causes, symptoms, prevention and treatment of zoonotic diseases that account for two.7 million human deaths worldwide annually.

A zoonotic disease is a form of infection that may be transmitted naturally from vertebrate animals to humans, or vice versa. Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), six out of each 10 known infectious diseases in humans are spread from animals.

World Zoonoses Day also marks the day the primary vaccine against rabies, a zoonotic disease, was developed by French microbiologist Louis Pasteur.

How do Zoonotic diseases spread?

• Foodborne – Zoonotic infections can spread to humans from eating contaminated food like unpasteurized milk, undercooked meat or eggs.
• Waterborne – Drinking water contaminated with feces from an infected animal can bring infection to humans.
• Direct contact – Some zoonotic diseases spread from direct contact with body fluids, including saliva, blood, urine, mucous or feces, and thru scratches and bites from animals.
• Indirect contact – The disease might also spread to humans once they are available contact with areas which might be contaminated by the infected animals, akin to their cages, pet foods and water dish.
• Vector-borne – Humans can get the infection when a vector akin to a mosquito or an insect bites.

Common zoonotic diseases:

Rabies: It’s a zoonotic disease spread through a virus from a rabid animal. The initial symptoms of rabies include fever, weakness, discomfort and headache, which progressively progresses to abnormal behavior, hallucinations, hydrophobia (fear of water) and insomnia. The disease is preventable through vaccines. Nonetheless, after the symptoms appear, there is no such thing as a known cure for rabies, and the condition is sort of all the time fatal.

Lyme disease: It’s essentially the most common vector-borne disease within the U.S., brought on by a bacteria often known as Borrelia burgdorferi, which is spread through the bite of infected ticks. Infected people show symptoms akin to fever, fatigue, joint pain and neurological problems. The condition can lead to serious complications akin to inflammation of the center and brain and long-term health issues when left untreated.

Toxoplasmosis: It’s a zoonotic disease brought on by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. An individual can get toxoplasmosis from eating undercooked meat or through contact with cat feces. It might probably even be passed right down to a fetus while pregnant. Most frequently, the disease doesn’t herald any symptoms and infected people get well without treatment. Nonetheless, treatment using drugs is really helpful for pregnant people, newborns and folks with weakened immune systems.

Salmonellosis: It’s brought on by a bacteria called Salmonella that lives within the intestinal tracts of animals, including birds. The infection spreads to humans once they eat food contaminated with animal feces. The symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.

Published by Medicaldaily.com