Over Two Million People Die From Zoonotic Diseases Yearly — Expert

Stakeholders in Kano have expressed worry over the spread of zoonotic diseases as over 2 million people die from them yearly.

Zoonotic diseases are transferred from animals to humans.

Head of Department Medical Microbiology and parasitology College of Health Sciences, Bayero University Kano, Dr Muhammad Adamu Abbas, mentioned this at an ongoing July seminar series organised by the Community Health Organisation (CHR) in collaboration with the Youth Society For the Prevention of Infectious Disease and Social Vices (YOSPIS).

Dr Abbas said the diseases are usually spread through contact with saliva, mucus or other body fluids of the infected animals, as well as contact with infected surfaces, and other unsanitary practices.

He also blamed romance between humans and animals, and pets as means of transfer of the diseases.

The Head of the department added that the preventive measures including hand washing, health check for animals, hand washing and one health practice would reduce the 2.2 million deaths from the diseases each year.

Some zoonotic diseases include Lassa fever, Ebola virus, COVID-19, Typhoid, Cholera, Hepatitis C and Monkeypox.