Introduction

INTRODUCTION

  • Human population encounter animals with varying frequency depending on their occupation, geographical location and the prevailing culture of the country. Whether living in an urban or rural environment, animals are constantly present and humans may have close contact with them on their farms (food-producing animals), in their homes (dogs, cats, caged birds), through leisure activities (horses, wildlife) or by virtue of their occupation as veterinarians or animal handlers.
  • Apart from their obvious benefits as a source of food, draught power, transportation and companionship, animals may occasionally have negative impact on the human population through pollution of the environment, as a cause of traffic accidents, injury to humans through bite wounds and attacks on other susceptible species (dogs attacking sheep).
  • Health hazards associated with animals are related to communicable diseases.
  • There are multiple pathways of transmission which enhance the chances of survival of the infectious agents.
  • Transmission of disease may be direct simply by contact with an animal or indirect, through, food, non-edible products and secretions or excretions.
  • Apart from food-borne zoonoses the importance of particular zoonotic diseases often varies with a person’s occupation, the nature and type of animals present and the diseases prevalent in the animal population in a particular geographical region.
  • The more frequent and direct the contact with animals, the greater the risk of acquiring a zoonotic infection.
  • Farmers, owners of companion animals, workers in slaughterhouses or by-product processing plants, veterinarians and laboratory staff dealing with infectious material, workers in zoos and circuses and personnel engaged in servicing sanitary services are more likely to acquire zoonotic diseases than workers who have infrequent contact with animals.
Last modified: Tuesday, 24 May 2011, 8:44 AM