Whats Zoonotics? How do people come into contact with it?
Zoonotic is the term for harmful germs that animals carry, then humans come into contact with these germs to cause viruses, illnesses, and diseases. The connection how people get infected is from direct contact, indirect contact, vector-borne and foodborne.
The Black Plague is a well-known example. Yersinia pestis is the bacteria transferred from fleas to humans. Rodents were vectors for this disease, lurking in the main food supplies and exposing people to fleas.
The chart above represents comparisons of the number of Zoonoses (Zoonotic) outbreaks versus Human-specific outbreaks.
The rising number has many factors:
Global warming causes animals to move into new geographical areas where humans reside. Exposing others to new unknown diseases.
Food production has a number of reasons why this is a possible factor. The reasons range from unnatural agricultural conditions to wildlife trades and consumption.
Travel and Transportation increase the odds of diseases traveling unknowingly across the globe. Monkeypox is another example of how the viruses traveled from South Africa to America. Wild African animals were housed alongside prairie dogs. The infected prairie dogs mated and infected the colonies, causing a rippling effect. People across the U.S. unknowingly keep infected prairie dogs as pets.
Surveilling and monitoring the diseases is how scientists help combat these diseases. It is up to people to be aware of their own health. It is our responsibility to be aware of what is happening within a country before visiting and to read the local media.
There is also a virtual exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA Law Group specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
CIMA Law Group Blog 