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Cities As Interfaces of Zoonotic Hazard Emergence: Development of the New York City Tick and Wildlife Urban Surveillance System
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Cities As Interfaces of Zoonotic Hazard Emergence: Development of the New York City Tick and Wildlife Urban Surveillance System

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[Zoonoses]

Akio Yamada1

  • 1Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan. yamada@nih.go.jp

Uirusu
|September 29, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Zoonotic diseases, originating from animals, pose a significant threat, with 61% of human pathogens being zoonotic. Public health must monitor these emerging diseases due to factors like ecological change and global transport.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology and Public Health
  • Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases

Context:

  • 1415 microbial species infect humans; 868 (61%) are zoonotic.
  • Emerging pathogens are predominantly zoonotic (75%), originating from animal reservoirs.
  • Zoonotic disease emergence is influenced by human demography, ecological shifts, global travel, and climate change.

Purpose:

  • To highlight the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens in human infections.
  • To emphasize the need for public health vigilance regarding emerging zoonotic diseases.
  • To identify key drivers contributing to the increased incidence of zoonoses.

Summary:

  • A significant majority of microbial species capable of infecting humans are zoonotic.
  • The majority of emerging infectious diseases originate in animals, necessitating proactive public health surveillance.
  • Limited human-to-human transmission (33%) for most zoonoses, but environmental and societal changes facilitate their emergence.

Impact:

  • Informing public health strategies for infectious disease prevention and control.
  • Raising awareness about the link between environmental changes and disease emergence.
  • Guiding research into the ecological and social determinants of zoonotic disease outbreaks.

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