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FROM THE LECTURE SERIES: AN INTRODUCTION TO INFECTIOUS DISEASES

June 15, 2021  

By Barry C. Fox, M.D., University of Wisconsin

Seventy percent of infectious diseases originate from wildlife. It is important to be aware of the many ways you can contract infections from animals, and know of the ways you can protect yourself. What do we know about some of these exotic diseases?

“...One Health Initiative

The One Health Initiative [https://onehealthinitiative.com/]  is an important collaborative worldwide effort by environmental scientists, human physicians, and veterinarians. (Image: Sudowoodo/Shutterstock)

So, how are we handling the burden of human and animal transmission of infectious diseases? Since the 1800s, scientists have noted the similarity in disease processes among animals and humans. But, human and animal medicine were practiced separately until the late 20^th century—until links in the epidemiology and abnormal physiology of diseases were recognized to be common.

In the present time, there is an important collaborative worldwide effort by environmental scientists, human physicians, and veterinarians to prevent, control, and eradicate infectious diseases—and to improve the health of all species. It’s called the One Health Initiative.

We are now able to appreciate the potential for repetitive patterns of infections to occur among animals, their environments, and human/animal contacts. This paradigm for global health also recognizes that most new human infectious diseases will emerge from animal reservoirs.  ... “

 SEE: https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/exotic-diseases-from-animals-to-humans/