Zoonoses and Communicable Diseases Common to Man and Animals vol. III, 3rd ed.

Overview

In recent years, zoonoses and communicable diseases common to man and animals have gained increasing attention worldwide. Human diseases that have their origins in infected animals, such as AIDS or Creutzfeldt-Jakob, have highlighted the need for a better understanding of animal diseases in terms of their epidemiology, mechanism of transmission to man, diagnosis, prevention, and control. Social and demographic changes have also contributed to the importance of gaining and disseminating knowledge about zoonoses. For instance, as people encroach further and further on ecological areas with which they had little contact and whose fauna may not be well known, their exposure to animals—and the infections they transmit—has increased. New knowledge is also being developed in the area of urban ecology. The ease and speed of modern travel also facilitates the spread of diseases once confined to specific geographic areas, as recently occurred with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Animal migration and trade pose a similar threat, as was shown by the outbreaks in the United States of West Nile fever, and most recently, monkeypox—two diseases not previously known in the Western Hemisphere. Each of these examples highlights the need for improved knowledge and surveillance of and response to zoonoses.

The negative effects of zoonoses are far reaching. High incidence rates continue to cause significant morbidity and mortality in both humans and animals. Their economic impact is seen in lost labor productivity due to illness; reduced travel and tourism to affected areas; reduced livestock and food production; death and destruction of affected animals; and restrictions on and reductions in international trade. Zoonoses can be a serious drain on a country’s economy, which in turn can have wide repercussions for a society’s health.

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