ONE WORLD, ONE HEALTH: PREVENT ZOONOSES

  ONE WORLD, ONE HEALTH: PREVENT ZOONOSES

   Sonal Dixit, Anshul

     Abstract

Zoonosis can be potentially devastating, as its basic route of transmission is via animal to human and vice versa which can affect the environmental condition directly or indirectly. One health is an umbrella concept that encompasses the well-being of human, animal and environmental health. It considers how disturbances in any of these areas can impact others and their outcomes. Zoonotic diseases have direct consequences for national economic development. They reduce the available supply of needed food, especially high-protein food. Feedstock of grain, grain by-products and animal by-products are wasted when the animals consuming them die. Preventing zoonosis requires coordination among different sectors of the Indian government, enabling people to come forward and pay attention to this global umbrella concept

Zoonotic, or zoonosis is a Greek word, zoion means animal and nosis means disease. Zoonosis is defined as

“Infectious diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans, and may give problems in humans but not necessarily in animals.”

Any microbes including bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites can cause this infectious disease. Any animal can carry a specific microbe or parasite. These parasites can be found in various body parts depending on their preferred habitat. Microbes and parasites can be transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa in two different ways:

1. Through direct contact
2. Through Indirect contact

Direct contact involves physical interaction with each other. In this type of transmission, human skin is in direct contact with animal skin.

Example:

Indirect contact involves no direct transmission of infection, rather then it takes place via a fomite, air, food, water, insects etc.

Example:

Socioeconomic losses from zoonosis are difficult to quantify completely as with other human diseases because the cost of life and suffering can’t be measured. Many zoonotic diseases cause serious illness and high mortality rates in human

One health is an emerging concept that aims to integrate the health of animals, humans and the environment. It’s a holistic approach that acknowledges the intricate relationship between humans, animals and the environment.

One health is an umbrella concept that considers the well-being of animal health which can affect human health and, directly or indirectly the environment. It aims to improve the relationship between these three components, allowing any disturbances to be addressed effectively.

Zoonotic diseases have direct consequences for national economic development. They reduce the available supply of needed food, especially high-protein food. Feedstock of grain, grain by-products and animal by-products are wasted when the animals consuming them die. The presence of animal disease in an area may prevent human health in that habitat. The economic cost incurred in the control of zoonotic disease in animal are often huge and are additional to medical cost and losses in human work. This integration is essential for resilient and responsive health systems capable of addressing the complex interplay of factors that affect health.

Preventing zoonosis:

Adequate measures should be taken to prevent zoonotic disease, with the foremost principle being that “prevention is better than cure”

The objective of prevention :

• To prevent transmission of deadliest diseases like rabies, avian influenza, leptospirosis
• To decrease the risk of environmental havoc
• To avoid pandemics like COVID 19 pandemic
• To maintain the stratification of levels in the food chain and food web
• To protect the one health concept

Measures for prevention :

Mainly at 2 levels, we can prevent and control zoonosis :

• Animal
• Human

Prevention at the animal level :

• Mass vaccination against deadliest disease (rabies, anthrax )
• Isolation and quarantine of animals if suffering from any disease
• Quarantine any new herd before introducing
• Breeding control programmes
• Spaying and castration at a specific age
• Domestic animals should not come in contact with a human patient
• Animals should not be kept overcrowded
• Proper carcass disposing
• Hygiene in animal shelters
• Proper ventilation and sunlight

Prevention at the human level:

• General hygiene
• Control insects
• Food hygiene
• Wash your hands before eating
• Vaccination
• After a bite go for a post-bite schedule, especially for dog bite
• Avoid contact with tsetse fly
• Protect food against flies and cockroaches

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