Zoonoses and Threat of Next Pandemic
The world is very vulnerable to zoonoses. Zoonotic diseases do not emerge suddenly. Zoonotic pathogens are capable of spreading and infecting humans if their natural bounds are disturbed or damaged.
The world is very vulnerable to zoonoses. Zoonotic diseases do not emerge suddenly. Zoonotic pathogens are capable of spreading and infecting humans if their natural bounds are disturbed or damaged.
The world is at high risk of zoonoses, diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Zoonoses can cause epidemics and other unusual incidences, whenever and wherever they occur. Clear standards are needed on managing a zoonotic outbreak.
An epidemic of animal origin is inseparable from the Earth’s wealth of biodiversity. Five major biological groups are found on Earth: bacteria, algae, animals, fungi and plants, which comprise at least 14 million species.
Also read : Zoonoses of This Century
Geographically, the resources of biodiversity are not distributed evenly on the Earth’s surface; rather, they are concentrated in regions with tropical climates. Humidity, constant sunlight throughout the year and sufficient water supply allow these ecosystems to achieve maximum growth.
These regions are most extensively found in Latin America, especially Brazil, and Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia. Other regions with fairly vast resources are Australia, New Zealand, China and parts of Africa.
Outbreaks of disease have long been recorded throughout human history, from the H1N1 viral pandemic of 1918 to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic that emerged in 2019. Zoonotic transmissions have a great likelihood of developing into a pandemic because the pathogens can spread over wide areas, mutate rapidly and have many hosts.
Also read : Focus on Covid-19
For instance, the Spanish flu (H1N1) pandemic of 1918 infected at least one-third of the world’s population and killed around 50 million people. Other zoonotic pandemics are SARS, MERS, bird flu (H5N1) and Covid-19. These four have also affected Indonesia.
The two prior to Covid-19, SARS (2002) and MERS (2012), had wild animal hosts and were able to spread to humans who consumed the animals. Especially in the case of SARS-CoV-2, researchers are trying to determine its animal hosts, and bats are believed to be the original host of the virus.
Today, as the Covid-19 pandemic rages, the world has been taken by surprise with the appearance of a new strain of H1N1 (swine flu), the G4 strain. Experts hold the view that this virus has “pandemic potential”, as evidenced by human infection as found in serologic examinations of workers at pig farms.
The two prior to Covid-19, SARS (2002) and MERS (2012), had wild animal hosts and were able to spread to humans who consumed the animals.
However, verifying this still needs further research into the H1N1 virus. The initial findings provide a diagnostic basis of for virologists and epidemiologists to determine the probable threat of a new pandemic.
Meanwhile, research developments on SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, are starting to show a clearer pattern after 73,364 genomic sequences of the virus were gathered from several countries for further study. Over the last six months, all affected countries have been gathering data on the coronavirus’ genome for the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID).
Collecting data on viral genomes is necessary to identify the coronavirus’ characteristics. The genomic sequences can provide information on its general and specific characteristics in every locale, including how fast it mutates. Another advantage is that studying the genomes can help scientists discover the virus’ transmission vectors and host, including possible links with certain animal species.
Causes of zoonoses
Zoonotic diseases do not emerge suddenly. Zoonotic pathogens can spread and infect humans when their natural bounds are disturbed or disrupted. Natural bounds means protecting the ecosystem.
The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) presents two main causes of zoonoses, which are damage to forest ecosystems and unsustainable utilization of natural resources. These conditions have arisen due to the rapid growth of the human population and the demand for extensive space for human settlements.
Forests, as a hub of biodiversity, are able to create balance in its multifaceted ecosystem, including wildlife and vegetation. Exploration that makes way for resource exploitation disrupts this balance, including the natural bounds of wildlife and humans.
Animals host many pathogens with pandemic potential. Land clearing causes increased interaction between wild animals and humans. In some cases, people even consume the flesh of wild animals.
Also read : Obey Health Protocols
Certain animals are more likely to spread zoonotic pathogens, such as rodents, bats and primates. Some outbreaks that have occurred were traced to bats, camels, pangolins, and pigs.
The public is aware of damage to the forest ecosystem. According to data from the World Resources Institute, 11.9 million hectares of forests in tropical regions were lost in 2019. The five countries that recorded the biggest forest losses were Brazil (1.36 million hectares), Democratic Republic of Congo (475,000 ha), Indonesia (324,000 ha), Bolivia (290,000 ha), and Peru (162,000 ha).
Massive environment loss is an important part of the complex chain that has caused the increasing incidence and spread of new zoonotic diseases in the world.
Mitigation failure
The occurrence of dozens of disease outbreaks is an indication of less than optimal environmental management. At least four things can explain why previous attempts to control zoonotic outbreaks have failed.
First, most efforts to control infectious diseases have been reactive rather than proactive. Second, in view of the complex pattern of zoonotic diseases that involves the environment, agriculture and health, cooperation in disease management has been frequently inadequate. Third, funding assistance for developing countries remains insufficient and often late.
Finally, effective strategies for zoonotic disease control have been introduced, but their main constraint is a shortage of investment or lack of implementation. The resulting situation is minimum efforts in epidemic control and mitigation.
Also read : Science in the Corona Outbreak
The issue of zoonoses is not simple. The chain from transmission to disease can be so widespread that it becomes hard to control. All countries should be prepared to adopt a variety of methods to mitigate outbreaks of disease.
Among these methods is One Health, an interdisciplinary approach that combines expertise in public health, veterinary medicine and the environment. This amalgamated approach should of course start by dealing with the root causes of the emergence of diseases.
The root cause of the increase in emerging zoonotic diseases involves the change in relationship between human beings and nature. It means that people should cease exploiting forest zones. Doing so would guarantee the sustainability of the natural ecosystem and safeguard the natural bounds between wild pathogens and human beings.
This has also gained the attention of the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Committee for Covid-19 in its efforts to halt transmission by identifying the zoonotic source of the virus and studying the possible role of animal hosts.
The WHO Emergency Committee has also recommended world governments to implement healthy practices in the trade of live animals for human consumption. In addition, it has called upon all countries to regulate their exotic animal trade.
These efforts should be supported by strengthening local food control and management, along with conservation. The next step is to apply new technologies, especially biotechnology and information and communication technology, as a means of disease control.
Also read : Key to being at Peace with Coronavirus
All these efforts are needed due to the high risk of emerging diseases from dangerous pathogens. Millions of pathogens, mostly viruses, occupy every square meter of the Earth. Viruses can reproduce rapidly and take residence in animal hosts that can then transmit them to humans.
Clear standards for zoonotic disease control are therefore needed as a guide for the world, including reformulating environment management policies by incorporating disease mitigation to prevent the emergence of a zoonotic pandemic. (KOMPAS R&D).