[Considerations on the evolution of the concept of zoonoses]

The existence of diseases common to humans and animals has been known since the beginning of history. The disease transmission from animals to people was first observed on rabies ("the mother of all zoonoses") and later on in occupational diseases (anthrax, glanders, "mange"); in time, also certain food-borne infections were included in this category. The microbiological era has first brought along the concept of infection, then that of zoonoses, which has extended and now numbers some 200 infections. The World Health Organization has been interested in zoonoses since its foundation. Zoonoses represent an important issue for public health, fundamental in veterinary public health, whose functions are here listed. This discipline is concerned with all health problems associated with direct and indirect relationships between humans and animals, including also non-communicable ones. It has been proposed, therefore, to extend the term zoonoses as follows: "Any detriment to the health and/or quality of human life deriving from direct or indirect relationships with (other) vertebrate, or edible or toxic invertebrate animals". Contributors (e.g. Blancou) suggest to remove "edible or toxic "from the definition. Examples of zoonoses are provided according to the extended concept.