- July 6 is celebrated as World Zoonoses Day to commemorate the scientific advancement of administering the first vaccination against zoonotic disease.
- The word Zoonoses derived from Greek, where Zoon means animal and noses means Sickness.
- Zoonoses are infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites that spread between animals and humans.
- People can get zoonotic diseases from contact with infected poultry, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and several other domestic and wild animals.
- A zoonosis is an infectious disease that is transmitted between species from animals to humans (or from humans to animals).
- There are several zoonotic diseases. The most common ones are Rabies, Tuberculosis, Lyme Disease, and more.
- It was on July 6, 1885, when Louis Pasteur successfully administered the first vaccine against Rabies virus, a zoonotic disease.
- Louis Pasteur was a French biologist, microbiologist and chemist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization.
- Louis Pasteur is best known to the general public for his invention of the technique of treating milk and wine to stop bacterial contamination, a process now called pasteurization.
- A report, titled “Preventing the Next Pandemic: Zoonotic diseases and how to break the chain of transmission”, is being launched on World Zoonoses Day.
- The report is a joint effort by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
The report identifies ten practical steps that governments can take to prevent future zoonotic outbreaks.
