Viral Zoonoses: (Viroses)

Zoonotic viral infections represent an important public health problem across the globe. Unlike infectious agents that are limited to humans, the presence of domestic and wild animal reservoirs and insect and arthropod vectors greatly complicate transmission dynamics and make control measures very difficult to implement. Some viral zoonoses are categorized as “emerging infectious diseases” because they are newly recognized or have shown significant changes in their geographic range and/or epidemiologic characteristics. This article provides updated information on the current status of the most important viral zoonotic diseases. The recent upsurge in Ebola virus infections in West Africa and the emergence of Zika virus in the Western Hemisphere are highlighted. There are many reasons to believe that most of the present infectious viral diseases of the human race have originated from animals. The viruses adapted themselves to the environment of the human body, either as infectious or commensals, these associations being eventually reversible. The effects produced in both man and animals are mainly determined by the invasive capacities of the pathogen and the host’s resistance to it. Animal and human health is inextricably linked. People depend on animals for nutrition, socio-economic development and companionship. Yet animals can transmit many different diseases to humans. Diseases transmitted from animals to humans are termed zoonoses and some of them are potentially devastating. A viral disease associated with mammals, including dogs, cats, horses, cattle and wildlife. Rabies can be transmitted through bites, scratches, aerosolized respiratory secretions, and saliva. It may take several weeks or even a few years for people to show symptoms after getting infected with rabies, but usually people start to show signs of the disease 1 to 3 months after the virus infect them. At the present time, far more than 220-250 zoonoses are now recognized in the world. Viruses or zooparasites cause most of those, which have been recently known. Zoonotic diseases are problems of considerable magnitude in every country, particularly where domestic animals are the principal reservoirs of infection since man comes into closest contact with such animals. The control of zoonoses needs complete cooperation and coordination, not only of veterinary and human health services, but also the support of governmental and non-governmental organizations on national and international levels. Therefore, the veterinary profession is not only of an economic importance, but it is also of considerable sanitary importance to public health.