Zoonotic diseases or diseases transmitted from animals to human beings are on the rise across the world. According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, more than 65% of communicable diseases are zoonotic in origin. Even COVID-19 might be of animal origin. Among zoonotic diseases, rabies, leptospirosis, tuberculosis, food poisoning, brucellosis, West Nile disease, Salmonellosis, Avian influenza and swine fever are on the rise in the State.
“The One Health strategy consisting of comprehensive health of human beings, animals and the environment needs to be implemented to control hundreds of zoonotic diseases. Poor waste management, unscientific slaughtering practices, increase in the number of stray dogs and climatic variations lead to an increase in the incidence of zoonotic diseases,” says Sethu Madhavan, former Director of Entrepreneurship, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University.
Even as Kerala excels in a network of health centres and veterinary dispensaries even at the grama panchayat level, zoonotic diseases are occurring at an alarming rate. Compared to the previous years, more human deaths are taking place in the State, he said.
“Control of zoonotic diseases requires a strategic extension programme across the State. This should include scientific disease control practices, management measures, and massive vaccination programmes. Appropriate sensitisation and awareness creation can be effectively explored in the State. Social, electronic and print media can play a key role in this. Role of departments, other research institutions and non-governmental organisations need to be clearly defined and they should work in a continuous manner,” he said.
Awareness programmes should not be limited to observing zoonotic day. Food safety and standards act envisages food safety norms from production to consumption. But cattle slaughter and poultry processing units are still functioning under an unorganised sector and following unscientific practices. Poor quality of water, unscientific farming practices and excess use of antibiotics affect the health of animals and meat quality, they point out.
Animal sources such as milk, meat, egg and their products are the most affordable and best source of protein. But unscientific practices make them unfit for consumption and may lead to zoonotic diseases. The State requires sufficient number of meat processing and waste management units.
The need of the hour is massive consumer awareness programmes on food safety and control of zoonotic diseases. Awareness should begin at school. Multidisciplinary stakeholder-based approaches are to be implemented in a strategic manner with the use of technology to control zoonotic diseases.
