ZOONOTIC DISEASES Can the transmission of pathogens between animals and humans be controlled?

ABSTRACT

After being associated with more than six million deaths so far, the Covid-19 pandemic is one of the worst diseases of animal origin known to date. Other zoonotic diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (2002-2004, which mainly affected China), Middle East respiratory syndrome (2012, mainly affecting the Middle East), Ebola (2013-2016 in West Africa), and Rift Valley fever (from 2016 to the present) have also caused major disease outbreaks in recent decades. In addition, and especially in low-income countries, some zoonotic diseases such as tuberculosis and rabies are endemic and cause thousands of deaths. Of note, up to 60 % of known infectious diseases and 75 % of emerging infectious diseases have an animal origin and are responsible for public health problems and economic losses.