Emerging zoonotic infectious diseases: a folly of human development

ABSTRACT

The accelerated pace at which human development has been set into has resulted into fast-tracking the emergence of novel diseases that affect both humans and animals. One of these is the emergence of infectious zoonotic diseases that have threatened human health since time immemorial. The emergence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 from poultry in 2002, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) from civets and bats in 2003, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronaviruses (MERS-CoV) from camelids in 2014, and most recently in SARS-CoV 2 or COVID-19, which reportedly came from bats, should serve as lessons that should be taken seriously. Factors that have resulted in the emergence of these illnesses include, but are not limited to, environmental destruction, illegal wildlife trade, and increasingly intensive livestock and poultry production. It is high time that humans look into efforts that prevent the emergence of these illnesses, rather than simply managing their effects. Addressing the problem through the lens of One Health is the way to go.