UNEP Publishes Report On Zoonotic Diseases
As the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has warned that further outbreaks will emerge if governments don’t take active measures to prevent other zoonotic diseases from crossing into the human population. The UNEP and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) recently launched the report – ‘Preventing the next pandemic: Zoonotic diseases and how to break the chain of transmission’. The nature and effects of zoonotic diseases occurring in humans have been discussed in this report. The report was published on World Zoonoses Day, which commemorates the work of French biologist Louis Pasteur who, on 6 July 1885, successfully administered the first vaccine against the zoonotic disease rabies.
What are the highlights of the report?
According to the published report, 60% of known infectious diseases in humans and 75% of all emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic. Every year, close to two million people, die from neglected zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases have caused economic losses of more than $100 billion, not including the cost of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the report, other epidemics similar to COVID-19 may have to be faced further if efforts are not made to prevent pastoral diseases.
Our #ZoonosesReport with @ILRI
? Identifies 7 trends driving the increasing emergence of zoonotic diseases – including climate change & increased demand for meat.
? Provides 10 recommendations to prevent future zoonotic outbreaks.
Learn more: https://t.co/IUTwtf1MlT#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/pJi9LU5HeC
— UN Environment Programme (@UNEP) July 6, 2020
What is a zoonotic disease?
A zoonosis (zoonotic disease or zoonoses -plural) is an infectious disease that is transmitted between species from animals to humans (or from humans to animals). The zoonotic infection spread in humans through bacteria, viruses, or parasites other than animals. HIV-AIDS, Ebola, Malaria, Rabies are the current coronavirus diseases that spread due to zoonotic infection.
What factors can cause zoonotic infection?
The report identified seven anthropogenic driving factors leading to the emergence of zoonotic diseases
- Increased demand for animal protein
- Rise in intense and unsustainable farming
- Increased use and exploitation of wildlife
- Unsustainable utilisation of natural resources
- Travel and transportation
- Changes in food supply chains
- Climate change crisis.
Measures to prevent zoonotic infection
The report identifies steps that governments can take to prevent future zoonotic outbreaks. The UNEP and ILRI emphasised on the importance of a ‘One-Health’ approach to manage and prevent zoonotic disease outbreaks and pandemics, occurring at the interface of human, animal and environment health. The recommendations are as follows.
- Raising awareness of zoonotic diseases
- Investing in interdisciplinary approaches, including One Health;
- Expanding scientific enquiry into zoonotic diseases
- Improving cost-benefit analyses of interventions to include full-cost accounting of societal impacts of diseases
Diseases caused by zoonotic infection
Types of diseases caused by zoonotic infection are animal flu, anthrax, bird flu, bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, Campylobacter infection, cat scratch fever, cryptosporidiosis.