The Leduc Naturalist: What is a zoonotic disease?
There is a long history of epidemics and pandemics arising out of zoonotic disease originating in Southeast Asia and other locales, primarily from swine and bird influenzas. I’m neither an epidemiologist nor a veterinarian, but have had some training in wildlife pathology, which is where my main interest lies. What is a zoonotic disease? Zoonotic disease is one that has reached an acme where it can pass back and forth between animals and mankind. The UCL Genetics Institute at University College London has recently discovered that humans actually pass more disease to domestic animals than they do to us, raising concerns about domestic livestock food security. So far, the bird flu H5N1 has been rapidly evolving from one that infected some wild birds (but killed very few), to one that is more lethal to all forms of avian. The cattle industry, especially dairy producers, has been hit by this flu, which has affected dairy output from infected bovines, and a secondary strain, HPA1 A/H5N1 has now become active in the US, which can impact human health. To my knowledge, this has not crossed into Canada yet, and intense surveillance is underway. As a disease progresses to a “higher order” animal, it is a red flag for epidemiologists to increase vigilance. In April, the WHO’s top scientist expressed that there are “enormous concerns” that H5N1 could spread to humans, but there is no reason to panic just yet. As a naturalist, my concerns lay with the crossing of bird flu to wild ungulates and bovines from domestic cattle as they share grazing ranges, with the long-term hazards of continuous cross-contamination. People are naturally sensitive to these matters after our recent ordeal with COVID-19, but vigilance and up-to-date knowledge are our best weapons, resisting the temptations of conspiracy theories and personal opinion. Let’s support our science community so it can support us.