World Zoonoses Day is marked on July 6 every year. Zoonosis is an infectious disease that is transmitted from animals to humans and later from humans to humans and ultimately, it becomes a pandemic.
Today’s situation is a perfect example of World Zoonoses Day, as the novel coronavirus is expected to be transmitted through bats to humans. And now it has devastated the lives of many.
According to Infection Control Today, World Zoonoses Day is observed every year to celebrate the first vaccination against a zoonotic disease. The vaccine was administrated by Louis Pasteur, a French Biologist on July 6, 1885.
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This day raises awareness about the risk of zoonotic diseases like Ebola, Avian influenza and West Nile virus.
To start off, what is Zoonosis?
A zoonosis (plural – zoonoses) is an infectious disease that is transmitted from vertebrate animals to human beings. A pathogen, like bacteria, virus or parasite is transmitted to the human body by the animal, as some kind of pathogen is carried by every animal. Then, this pathogen is unknowingly transmitted by an infected person to a healthy person and the cycle continues until it becomes a pandemic.
According to the Disease Control and Prevention, animals play a vital role in spreading zoonotic disease. The transmission between animals and human beings can occur when there is contact between animals and humans. The most common contact is the consumption of meat and other animal products. The disease can also jump from your pets, from farm animals.
THEME of World Zoonoses Day 2021:
This year, the theme of World Zoonoses Day is – “Let’s break the chain of zoonotic transmission.”
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Common Zoonotic diseases:
African Sleeping Sickness – The disease is spread through tsetse fly bites. It is also known as African trypanosomiasis. Symptoms of disease are – Stage 1: Fevers, headaches, itchiness, joint pain and stage 2: Trouble sleeping, confusion, poor coordination.
Bird Flu – Bird flu is also known as avian influenza, this infection not only infects birds but other animals and human beings also. H5N1 is the most common form of bird flu.
Swine Flu – Swine flu is also known as the H1N1 virus. It is a new form of influenza virus which was originated from pigs but later spread from person to person.
Ebola Virus – Ebola virus is also known as Ebola or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF). The most common symptoms of this virus are fever, sore throat, muscular pain and headaches. It is caused because of ebola virus which is found in monkeys, gorillas, chimpanzees and orang-utans.
Rabies – It is found in mice and rats, this can be transmitted through rat bites, mucous and urine secretion.
Diarrhea/Foodborne illness – It is found in all domestic or reared animals. It can be transmitted through raw or undercooked meat.