Impact of Animal Diseases on Human Health

A. Direct Health Impacts

a. Zoonotic Infections:

• Rabies from dogs and wildlife.
• Brucellosis from cattle, sheep, and goats.
• Anthrax from infected livestock.
• Avian influenza from poultry.
• Leptospirosis from rodents and livestock.

b. Emerging Zoonosis:

• Ebola, SARS, MERS, COVID-19 linked to wildlife reservoirs.

c. Occupational Exposure:

• Farmers, veterinarians, abattoir workers are at higher risk.

B. Indirect Health Impacts

a. Food-borne Diseases:

• Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria from contaminated meat, milk, and eggs.
• Can lead to gastrointestinal infections, kidney failure, and sepsis.

b. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR):

• Resistant bacteria in livestock can transfer to humans via food or environment.
• Leads to treatment failures and higher morbidity.

c. Mental Health Impact:

• Loss of livestock due to disease outbreaks causes stress and economic insecurity in farming communities.

C. Economic and Public Health Burden

• Human healthcare costs increase due to treatment of zoonotic infections.
• Productivity loss due to sickness and mortality in humans.
• Outbreaks can affect food security, livelihoods, and trade.
• Example: Avian influenza outbreaks lead to culling millions of poultry, impacting both economy and protein supply.

D. Environmental and Ecological Impacts

• Disease outbreaks in animals can disrupt ecosystems and wildlife populations.
• Spread of pathogens to humans may be facilitated by environmental degradation, deforestation, and climate change.

E. Prevention and Control Strategies (Relevance to One Health)

• Surveillance of animal populations to detect disease early.
• Vaccination programs in livestock (e.g., rabies, brucellosis).
• Safe food practices: pasteurization, proper cooking, and hygienic handling.
• Integrated AMR monitoring across humans, animals, and environment.
• Public awareness and education to reduce risk of zoonotic transmission.