- According to a new study, zoonotic diseases have been neglected by WHO despite them having claimed many lives, particularly in developing countries.
- The researchers believe that this is because these diseases are only seen in developing countries and have been eliminated or controlled in developed countries as simple effective controls exist.
- Zoonotic diseases are spread between animals and humans, and are prevalent in places where people depend on animals for their work and also in poor regions.
- Examples are: anthrax, bovine tuberculosis, Taenia solium cycticercosis, cystic echinococcosis, leishmaniasis rabies, and human African trypanosomiasis (HAT or sleeping sickness).
- Of these, anthrax, brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis have not garnered enough recognition and funding needed to combat them.
- Poor health care infrastructure results in most people being undiagnosed, posing a great challenge to health professionals, researchers and policy makers.
- In India, chikangunya, dengue, avian influenza, plague, SARS, Congo Haemorrhagic Fever and acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) claims many lives.
- Read at: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sci-tech-and-agri/zoonotic-diseases-ignored-in-developing-world/article6171815.ece
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