Tag: ZOONOTIC

Enhancing preparedness to tackle rising zoonotic diseases in Africa

Healthtimes

The ongoing Marburg virus disease outbreaks in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania are the latest of several zoonotic diseases reported in the African region. The region has seen an increase of such outbreaks, recording a 63% rise between 2012 and 2022 compared with the previous decade. Zoonotic diseases represent approximately 32% of the region’s infectious disease outbreak reported between 2001 and 2022. Dr Tieble Traore, Emergency Preparedness Technical Officer at WHO Regional Office for Africa, explains how African countries should prepare to effectively respond to zoonotic disease outbreaks such as Marburg.…

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Suspend Sale of Captured Live Wildlife in Food Markets Warns WHO and Partners

Michael Gwarisa

THE World Health Organisation (WHO), the Food and Agricultural organization (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) have issued a statement condemning the sale of live wild mammals as well as the slaughtering of sickly wild animals as a means to prevent the spread of new SARS-CoV-2 variants between humans and wild animals. By Michael Gwarisa The call follows indications that certain wildlife species have been observed to be infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in some parts of the world.  These species include domestic animals, free-ranging, captive or…

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The Way We Interact With Our Wildlife Now, Will Determine How We Deal With The Next Global Health Pandemic

Michael Gwarisa

THE world is still struggling to contain the COVID-19 pandemic which has had the global health sector on its toes since 2020 as scientists search for a solution to the prevailing health crises. The first case of the coronavirus strain or the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus was reported in Wuhan, a City in the Hubei province of China in December, 2019. By Michael Gwarisa More than two years after the first case was recorded, scientist and health experts are still looking into its origin. Even though the bulk of…

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Human Wildlife Interaction Could Trigger Rise In Zoonotic Diseases-AWF

Michael Gwarisa

THE African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) Vice President, Species Conservation and Science, Dr Philip Muruthi says the increase in human and wildlife interaction across Africa could increase the prevalence of Zoonotic diseases and probably lead to another devastating pandemic of the same magnitude as COVID-19. By Michael Gwarisa A zoonotic disease or zoonosis is any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans and there are over 200 known types of zoonosis in the world. The coronavirus belongs to the zoonosis family as its origins have been…

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One Health: Africa And Asia Should Collaborate To End Zoonotic Diseases Spread

Michael Gwarisa

FOR several decades, Africa and Asia have been major hot-spots and sources of Zoonotic diseases that have led to some of the world’s deadliest diseases outbreaks. Zoonotic diseases (also known as zoonoses) are caused by germs that spread between animals and people. By Michael Gwarisa Some of the major Zoonotic diseases that have emerged from Africa include Ebola which is believed to have originated from fruit Bats, there is also still confusion over the origins of AIDS which is believed by some scientist to have come from primates in the…

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