Why bat health is important to better protect humans

On July 6, 1885, the French scientist Louis Pasteur administered the rabies vaccine for the first time to a child who had been bitten by a dog. Until that moment, the researcher had only tested it on dogs, but the boy’s serious situation led him to apply the vaccination and it went well. The boy was saved. Today is World Zoonoses Day, to remember this important milestone in the history of scientific research, which has contributed to the development of vaccines, and to raise awareness of diseases transmitted from animals to humans , such as rabies – which is still responsible for 59,000 human deaths per year, and the most recent: the disease COVID-19, which has already killed 3.9 million.

Zoonoses are infectious diseases that can be transmitted from vertebrate animals to humans. These include rabies, psittacosis, leptospirosis, anthrax, tuberculosis, brucellosis, and COVID-19 disease. Today, scientists and health authorities are gaining the world’s attention because animal health is important to protect human health. This is the “one health” approach.

The College of Veterinarians of the Province of Buenos Aires has come to warn that last May, there was one death from rabies in that jurisdiction. The following month, another case of rabies was recorded in an unvaccinated 3.5-month-old dog in the San Fernando Delta. At the national level, 13 years ago, there were no cases of human rabies, the last one dates back to 2008 when an 8-year-old boy was bitten by a dog in the province of Jujuy. In the province of Buenos Aires, no case had been recorded for 40 years.

“Today more than ever, we need the general population and human and animal health professionals to develop a global vision of the human being in his interaction. with other species and with ecosystems in general, ”he commented. Infobae Dr Laura Riera, Scientist and Director of the Master in Zoonosis Prevention and Control at the National University of the Northwest of the Province of Buenos Aires (UNNOBA).

“This vision of one health should not only be considered when there is disease, but it should be a permanent attitude towards animals and the environment. The way we deal with animals and the environment can put both their health and ours at risk. Failure to consider animal health can harm us, ”said Dr Riera.

In the case of COVID-19, Riera stressed that “it is considered to be of animal origin, but its fundamental mechanism of transmission is person-to-person. In other zoonoses, human-to-human transmission is very rare. For example, in the case of Argentinian hemorrhagic fever, transmission is through the reservoir of the virus, which is a field mouse ”.

For the expert, “Very varied zoonoses. Therefore, prevention measures may be different for everyone. Hygiene care, respect for the environment – such as not approaching places where there may be rodents which may be reservoirs of pathogens – and getting vaccinated if necessary are some of the measures to take care of yourself and help control diseases ”.

In some cases, effective vaccines are available, such as COVID-19. In other cases, vaccines have not yet been developed, as is the case with hantavirus, and that is why people should follow the advice of health authorities to avoid contracting the infection. “Vaccination against immuno-preventable zoonoses such as animal vaccination, hygiene measures after contact with animals and the use of drinking water reduce the occurrence of zoonotic diseases.”Remarked Riera.

Consulted by Infobae Dr Alejandra Capozzo, a virology researcher at Conicet at the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), said that “Zoonoses represent a risk to public health. The coronavirus pandemic has exposed him. “There were already previously unknown human infectious diseases originating from animal reservoirs, such as SARS in 2002, avian influenza and now COVID-19. In addition, there are other zoonotic diseases that have been with us for a long time, such as brucellosis, tuberculosis, trichinosis, hydatidosis, psittacosis, among many others ”.

Epidemics and epidemics – underlined Dr Capozzo – “They have shown that breeding activities or excessive interventions in natural areas where animals live can represent a significant risk to public health. Until now, the risk of zoonoses has been underestimated ”.

The appearance of COVID-19 and the reappearance of bacterial infections – such as tuberculosis – or viral infections – such as rabies – “show that zoonoses must be considered as emerging risks and they must be treated by specific preventive interventions, by joint and interactive work between specialists in the veterinary sector, doctors and public health experts ”, underlined Capozzo, member of the Argentinian Society of Virology and member of the Board of administration of directors of the Argentine Association of Veterinary Immunology.

“A shift in focus is needed to organize a strategy that expands interdisciplinary collaborations and communication in all aspects of healthcare for humans, animals and the environment. This is a unique health approach, and it must be comprehensive, ”said the researcher.

Zoonoses affect humanity and everyone can do their part. From the College of Veterinarians of the Province of Buenos Aires, President Osvaldo Rinaldi, commented Infobae: “Out of 5 new diseases, 3 are zoonoses in the world. Everyone in their place can prevent a possible zoonosis ”, and provided these recommendations:“ If a person has a dog or a cat, they should vaccinate them against rabies from three months once a year. “You must respect the health plan of each animal, and you must not capture or buy birds or wild animals as their sale is prohibited.”

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