The number of emerging infectious diseases affecting people has more than tripled since the 1940s. Nearly 60% of all human diseases and 75% of all new, emerging, or re-emerging infectious diseases affecting humans are zoonotic, transmitted from animals to humans.
These diseases can be viral, bacterial, fungal or parasitic.
Zoonotic diseases include Ebola, MERS, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, yellow fever and the latest emerging pandemic threat, the Zika virus, reports businessdailyafrica.com.
Until recently, few people had heard of the Zika virus even though the virus had been discovered by researchers in the 1940s.
Maintaining animal health, using insect repellents, practicing good personal hygiene, and undertaking vaccination can minimize the risks of some animal-borne diseases threatening people’s health.
