BTN News: World Zoonoses Day reminds us of the dangers of diseases that can move between animals and humans. This day helps us learn how to stop these diseases to protect our health. Many people do not know what “zoonosis” means. Zoonosis is any disease that animals and humans can share. These diseases can spread through contact with infected animals, bug bites, bad food, or the environment.
What is Zoonosis and How Does It Affect Us?
Zoonosis includes any disease that can go from animals to humans and back. These diseases spread in many ways. Contact with sick animals, bites from bugs, eating bad food, or being in dirty places can all cause spread. Knowing about these diseases is very important. They can affect our health, the economy, and food safety. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says that 60% of human diseases come from animals. About 75% of new diseases start in animals.
The Big Impact of Diseases That Come From Animals
Zoonotic diseases are dangerous for health and hurt jobs, especially in farming. They harm the economy, health systems, and food supply. Animal protein is important for people’s diets. It gives 33% of protein and 17% of calories. Outbreaks of these diseases can stop food production and make food hard to get, causing money losses and hunger.
COVID-19 Showed Us How Serious Animal Diseases Can Be
The COVID-19 pandemic showed how serious zoonotic diseases are. The World Health Organization (WHO) said COVID-19 was the third main cause of death in 2020 and the second in 2021. It killed nearly 13 million people. This pandemic made us see how bad zoonotic diseases can be and why we need to stop them.
Many Things Make Animal Diseases Spread More Easily
Many things help spread zoonotic diseases more often and faster. These include people traveling, global trade, crowded farms, and more contact with rural areas, wild animals, and nature. Climate change and natural disasters make things worse by changing ecosystems and animal behavior. This leads to more contact between animals and people, spreading diseases.
How Latin America and the Caribbean Deal with Animal Disease Problems
In Latin America and the Caribbean, livestock farmers face big problems with high-risk zoonotic emergencies. One big example is bird flu, which has hurt poultry, wild birds, sea animals, and even humans in 16 countries since 2023.
FAO’s Role in Preventing Animal Diseases
The FAO works to stop and control zoonotic diseases to protect both animals and people. Since 2023, the FAO’s Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) has been active in Latin America and the Caribbean. ECTAD gives technical, logistical, and financial help to countries to stop, control, find, and fight zoonotic threats. Countries like Peru, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Colombia have used ECTAD’s help to get ready for possible disease outbreaks.
Promoting Safety and Good Practices to Lower Disease Risk
One key way to lower zoonotic disease risk is to promote good farm practices based on safety. This includes strict veterinary checks and health controls in the livestock value chain to make sure food is safe. Using these practices can lower the risk of zoonotic disease spread, protecting both animal and human health.
Everyone’s Duty to Stay Informed and Practice Safety
It is important for everyone to know about zoonotic diseases and how to lower their risks. Keeping animals healthy helps keep people healthy. By learning and being proactive, we can make the future safer and healthier for everyone.
World Zoonoses Day helps us remember how important it is to know about and prevent these diseases. By raising awareness and taking steps to prevent them, we can reduce the risks and ensure a healthier life for both humans and animals.
