Dealing With Zoonoses

Increasing interaction between humans and wildlife is leading to a rise in the transmission of diseases. This, from Professor of Environmental Science and Health at Emory University, Dr. Thomas Gillespie. He was speaking at the Ministry of Planning and Development's Webinar on the role of Ecosystems in the Mitigation and Management of Covid-19 and other Zoonoses. Diseases transmissible from animals to humans through direct contact or through food, water, and the environment, are commonly referred to 'zoonoses.' Zoonosis represents 60% of all Emerging Infectious Diseases and Dr. Gillespie said the diseases are not being spread by domesticated animals, but by wildlife and added that 71.8% of zoonotic diseases originate from wildlife. According to the Ministry of Planning and Development , the interface shared among humans, animals, and the environment has been a source of diseases impacting public health. This has therefore led to rising international concern about the zoonotic origins of many pandemics.