The Risks of Zooneses - Essay Example

The Risks of Zooneses Zooneses is a communicable disease that could easily be transmitted to humans. Zooneses thrives on canine animals, and due to people’s love to animals, the disease could pose as risks to human lives. According to World Health Organization, 75% of the new diseases that have affected human lives over the past ten years originated from animals, and the new strains of diseases have potentials to spread globally and seriously affect the poor countries. Among the diseases that could be transmitted by zoooneses to humans include are rabies, Brucellosis, leishmaniasis and echinococossis (WHO).

As reported, these diseases affected millions of people every year and caused a serious amount of death. The effect of zooneses are not only on lives of people, but also to the to the efficient food production of animals, as it becomes an impediment to trading of animals and animal products. Bird flu, swine flu, and mad cow disease, are some of the animal diseases that concern food production since it have an effect on birds, swine, and cows. There is a misconception that rabies only affects dogs.

Studies show that it can also involve other mammals such as cats, bats, horses, sheep, and other species(Veterinary Public Health). Rabies is the most known public health issue around the world. Interestingly, Rabies has been contained in New Zealand and Hawaii because of their intensive vaccination programs (Veterinary Public Health). Outbreaks in cows have been reported in Costa Rica and Peru in 2011 and in horses in Colorado during 2011. Transmission is done by a bite from an infected animal to humans.

Clinical signs that show one is affected by rabies is pain, difficulty in walking, lack of coordination, or aggression. The animal shows “signs of depression and weariness”. The disease is progressive and more organs are affected. At this point, observe that the patient experiences difficulty in swallowing and shows fear of water, and “sensitivity to light”. Symptoms of someone bitten by a dog appear do not readily appear. It shows after ten days to several months after the incident.

Patients die from “asphyxiation” as their respiratory muscles stop working(VPH) Luckily, according to studies, these diseases are preventable, and since I am studying Veterinary Medicine, I could make a practical research on the prevention and elimination of zoonoses. I would propose studies that would strengthen the response for the containment of the communicable animal-borne diseases, and in a small way, contribute to the science of veterinary medicine.Works citedVeterinary Public Health – A One Health Approach.

January 12, 2012. Web. 11 June 2012.World Health Organization. Zoonoses and Veterinary Public health. Web. 11 June 2012