The significance of zoonotic transmission of viruses in human disease
Currently a swine flu pandemic is sweeping the globe. This and other human influenza viruses contain genes of animal influenza viruses, particularly birds. In this article in Microbiology Today (pdf) Ulrich Desselberger describes how animals are real or potential reservoirs of viruses which can be transmitted to humans and cause a wide range of diseases:
Most of the viral human infections and diseases which have emerged over the past 25 years have zoonotic transmissions as their origin. Almost three-quarters of zoonotic transmissions are caused by pathogens of wildlife origin, mainly in the areas of sub-Saharan Africa, India and China, and to a lesser extent in North America and Europe, and viruses comprise approximately 20% of all emerging infections. Zoonotic transmission is favoured by close contact between humans and animals, and insect vectors may be involved.
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Tags: Biology, disease, Health, Medicine, Microbiology, Science, Virology, virus
