Zoonotic Diseases its causes and prevention
Dr. Manisha Mehra and Dr. Omprakash Singh
Zoonotic diseases are infectious illnesses that spread between animals and humans. Bacteria, parasites, viruses, fungi and prions can cause them. Zoonotic diseases spread through contact with infected body fluids, animal bites, contaminated water and eating infected meat. Bats, livestock, rodents, birds and other vertebrates can carry them.
Causes of diseases- Bacteria, Parasites (protozoa or parasitic worms), Viruses, Fungi etc
Many pathogens only infect one specific type of organism- humans, specific animals, plants or even other germs. But zoonotic diseases have the ability to infect both humans and other vertebrates. Or at one time, they infected only specific animals, but mutations allowed them to “jump” to humans and cause an infection.
Some zoonotic diseases only spread from animals to humans and don’t spread from person to person. Others, like Ebola, spread from animals to humans and continue to spread in humans, causing periodic outbreaks of illness. Still others spread to humans and then mutate to only infect humans, like HIV and COVID-19. Once they only spread in humans, they’re no longer considered zoonotic (but other forms of the disease can still exist in animals).
Symptoms- Symptoms of zoonotic diseases vary depending on the specific illness. Some common symptoms include: Fever, Tiredness (fatigue), Headache, and Body aches, Rash, Diarrhea and Vomiting.
Transmission of Zoonotic diseases- Zoonotic illness can spread through:-
- Contact with the body fluids (like blood, pee, poop and saliva) of infected animals.
- Bites and sometimes scratches from infected animals.
- Bites from insects, like ticks, mosquitos or fleas.
- Eating undercooked meat.
- Drinking contaminated water (or eating foods washed with contaminated water).
Some animal like Bats, Birds, Cats, Deer, Dogs, Livestock, like cows, pigs and sheep, Non-human primates, like monkeys, apes and chimpanzees and Rodents, like rats, mice, moles and voles can carry zoonotic illnesses.
Some people are at higher risk for zoonotic infections if they:
- Work with animals as part of their job or hobbies (like in a veterinary office or on a farm).
- Hunt, prepare or eat wild animal meat.
- Have a weakened immune system.
Diagnosis and Tests- Healthcare providers diagnose zoonotic diseases with a sample of tissue or body fluid, Blood, Stool (poop), Sputum (mucus coughed up from your lungs), Mucus swabbed from your nose or throat, Depending on symptoms, you may also need imaging tests, like a chest X-ray or CT scan.
Prevention of zoonotic diseases- vaccination, Protect from bug bites, Wear gloves when handling animals (living or dead). Follow safe food prep practices. Avoid contact with infected body fluids; Don’t eat bush meat (the meat of wild animals). Try to avoid animal bites and scratches are common habits that helps from protection of zoonotic diseases
Some zoonotic diseases can be very serious and even fatal like Ebola virus and Marburg virus have a high mortality (death) rate. Rabies is always fatal once symptoms start. Most other zoonotic illnesses are treatable and are rarely fatal.
