Every year, 6 July is observed as World Zoonoses Day. On 6 July 1885, the French biologist Louis Pasteur successfully administered the first rabies vaccine to a 9-year-old boy, Joseph Meiste, who had been bitten by a rabid dog. To mark such a momentous event in medical science, every year, 6 July is observed as World Zoonoses Day.

The World Zoonoses Day seeks to raise awareness amongst the public and the stakeholders about the danger of diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.

What is a Zoonotic Disease?

The root of the Zoonoses word is the Greek word ‘Zoon " and"nosos ". In Greek “Zoon”means animal, and “nosos” means illness. Thus, Zoonoses refers to a disease that spreads from vertebrate animals to humans and vice versa.

Vertebrates are animals with a backbone and a central nervous system partly enclosed within the backbone. Vertebrates include mammals (like humans), amphibians, birds, reptiles, and fish.

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 61% of human pathogens originate from zoonotic.

The pathogens could be viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, or parasites, which could spread to humans directly or through animal-derived foods, contaminated water, or the environment.

How does the Zoonotic Disease Spread?

There are various ways a Zoonotic disease can spread to humans.

It can spread if a human comes into direct contact with the saliva, blood, urine, mucus, faeces, or other body fluids of an infected animal, such as by being bitten by the infected animal.

The disease can also spread indirectly if humans come into contact with areas where animals live and roam or come into contact with objects or surfaces contaminated with germs.

Consumption of food items which have been contaminated with infected animals' faeces and drinking of water or coming into contact with water that has been contaminated with faeces from an infected animal.

The disease can also spread if a human is bitten by a vector, such as a tick, mosquito, or flea.

Theme of the 2024 World Zoonoses Day

The theme of the 2024 World Zoonoses Day is "One World, One Health: Prevent Zoonoses" This theme emphasises the need to break the transmission cycle to prevent future pandemics like COVID-19.

Zoonotic Diseases

Some of the zoonotic diseases caused by pathogens like bacteria, virus , fungus are as

follows:

Bacterial zoonoses: anthrax, salmonellosis, tuberculosis, Lyme disease, brucellosis, and plague
Viral zoonoses: rabies, acquired immune deficiency syndrome- AIDS, Ebola, and avian influenza(COVID)
Parasitic zoonoses : echinococcosis, trichinosis, toxoplasmosis,trematodosis, giardiasis, malaria,

Fungal zoonoses: ringworm.