The phenomenon of humans contracting diseases typically associated with animals is not new. What is concerning is the recent abnormal increase in such cases. Even poultry like chickens and ducks pose significant risks due to the H5N1 virus.
Multiple Chronic Diseases
Countless diseases exist that animals can transmit to humans.
AIDS: Humans are infected with the HIV virus from primates residing in Central Africa, most likely from chimpanzees. Nearly 24 million people have died from AIDS.
SARS Epidemic: Believed to originate from civet cats, this epidemic was first identified in China in early 2003, infecting thousands and resulting in over 800 deaths (299 of which were in Hong Kong).
Rubeola (Measles): Caused by mosquitoes, the first outbreaks of this disease appeared in the 1950s in Thailand and the Philippines. By the 1970s, nine countries were affected by rubeola. Currently, cases have been reported in 100 countries.
Ebola Fever:
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Ebola Fever Patient |
It is suspected that humans contract Ebola from primates. The disease is transmitted directly through the blood and bodily fluids of infected individuals. The first outbreak of Ebola was identified in Sudan in the 1970s, killing up to 90% of those infected.
Yellow Fever: Humans are infected with the virus causing yellow fever from primates in Central Africa, most likely from chimpanzees. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes. The first recorded cases of yellow fever date back 400 years. A vaccine was developed about 60 years ago.
West Nile Fever: Humans contract this disease from birds via mosquitoes. This is one of the most dangerous fevers and has caused numerous deaths. Cases have been reported not only in Africa but also in Europe, Asia, and North America.
Malaria: The disease is transmitted to humans after being bitten by Anopheles mosquitoes. Approximately 300 million people are infected with malaria each year, resulting in about 1 million deaths.
Lyme Disease: Humans are infected with the virus causing this disease from deer and rodents. Symptoms resemble the flu but progress to more severe conditions, leading to arthritis. The disease is named after the city of Lyme in the United States, where it was first identified.
Smallpox: Humans contract this disease from camels. Smallpox has been known for over three thousand years and was long considered a leading cause of death in children. Among its victims were many famous historical figures, including Russian Tsar Peter the Great and French King Louis XV. Historians estimate that by the end of the 19th century, nearly 50 million people contracted smallpox each year, with a mortality rate of up to 30%. The last case of smallpox was recorded in 1977.
Monkeypox: Humans contract this disease from golden rodents. The first cases of monkeypox were discovered in late May 2005 in the U.S. The disease progresses like regular smallpox until it becomes fatal.
Plague: Humans are infected with the plague from rats and other rodents. The disease is transmitted through bites. The first major plague outbreak was recorded in the 6th century in Byzantium, resulting in nearly 100 million deaths over 50 years. In the 14th century, the plague killed one-third of Asia’s population and half of Europe’s. The third major global plague outbreak occurred in the 19th century, affecting residents of 100 ports worldwide. In 1999, plague outbreaks re-emerged in 14 countries, primarily in Africa, with nearly 2.6 million cases, resulting in 212 deaths.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease): Humans can contract this disease from infected beef. There have been several fatal cases of individuals consuming infected beef, which damages the brain. Occasionally, deaths from mad cow disease occur in various countries, with economic damages in Europe estimated between 60 to 120 million USD.
Encephalitis: The causative agent of encephalitis is transmitted to humans from rats and other rodents. Mosquitoes and ticks are the vectors for this disease. Each year, about 100,000 to 200,000 people worldwide contract encephalitis, with approximately 10,000 to 15,000 fatalities.
Increasingly Dangerous
Experts from the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases believe that we are only at the beginning of a dangerous adventure. In the near future, more infectious diseases from animals are expected to emerge, and the toll on human life and material loss will increase.
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| Laurie Garrett, author of “The Coming Plague” (Image: wise.virginia) |
The development of globalization and environmental degradation has led to increased contact between humans and animals. Many animal species that once never cohabited with humans have now been domesticated. Exotic animals from Asia and Africa have become food sources for residents of Europe and the United States. The structure of the modern food industry poses risks that animal diseases may threaten the lives and health of hundreds of thousands of people. Climate changes also alter the migration patterns of birds and insects (such as mosquitoes), allowing them to spread pathogens more widely than before. Changes in the environment of both humans and animals also affect how different pathogens operate.
According to Laurie Garrett, author of “The Coming Plague“, we have yet to fully grasp the scale of this issue. No one can predict when pathogens associated with common animal diseases might appear in humans. Furthermore, it remains unclear why viruses that infect animals can mutate and become dangerous to humans.
Transmission can also occur through an intermediary animal. This could be a mosquito (which transmits malaria after biting humans) or an animal that humans consume as food. No one knows what diseases animals might transmit from humans. To date, very few countries have implemented specialized research programs focusing on animal diseases that can infect humans.
The Sword of Damocles
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the H5N1 virus rarely transmits to other organisms, including humans. However, this virus has the potential to mutate and cause avian influenza in humans. Over the past two years, there have been approximately 70 human fatalities due to avian influenza in Asia. The WHO also asserts that no country can be safe once a bird flu pandemic occurs. Even “quarantine” measures cannot prevent an outbreak. Previously, pandemics took 6-9 months to reach global proportions; now, due to advancements in public transport, it can take less than three months for a pandemic to spread worldwide.
It is not an exaggeration to say that avian influenza and the H5N1 virus currently hang like the Sword of Damocles above humanity, and all nations must remain vigilant against this pandemic.
History shows that if an avian influenza pandemic were to occur in humans, nearly every country would face significant challenges. Scientists believe that the spread of avian flu in humans is 38 times faster than the spread of SARS. According to the WHO, all countries are lacking vaccines and antiviral medications for avian influenza. The potential death toll from this pandemic is unimaginable, with estimates reaching into tens of millions. The WHO predicts that between 2 to 7 million people could die when the pandemic strikes, while some scientists estimate that the number could rise to between 20 to 100 million people.
