Millennium India Education Foundation (MIEF) recently organised a conference to create scientific awareness on Zoonotic Diseases, Human Interface, Prevention and Control at KEM hospital in Mumbai. The conference was jointly organised by MIEF New Delhi, KEM Hospital Mumbai, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (Animal Science Division) Government of India, LIC and Indian Medical Academy, New Delhi.

Dr Avinash Supe, Dean, KEM Hospital Mumbai said that animals played a vital role as carriers of many vector-borne diseases like Japanese Encephalitis. Therefore, common preventive measures at both veterinary and medical sectors should be adopted with alacrity.

People from the medical profession, veterinary sciences, MSWs and people directly involved with animal care attended this conference. Addressing the conference, Dr Uday Kakroo, Director, MIEF, said that outbreaks of diseases communicable from animals to humans are commonly referred to as Zoonosis. These have been traced to human interaction with and exposure to animals at fairs, petting them at zoos and in other settings.

Adding further he said, In fact, for many human diseases the human is actually an accidental victim and the dead-end host. 1,415 human pathogens 868 originate from animals and many of them have established themselves in humans.

Explaining the meaning of Zoonotic diseases, Dr. Kakroo said a disease that starts as a zoonosis may have the potential to develop into a major human communicable disease. Many zoonosis are able to cause very significant levels of morbidity and mortality in humans. Zoonosis constitutes nearly 60 per cent of all known human infections and over 75 per cent of all emerging pathogens.

He also said that zoonosis are typically endemic and occur in natural foci. Daily 50,000 people die from infectious diseases including Zoonosis (WHO). Of 1,415 human pathogens 868 originate from animals and many of these have established themselves in humans. Of the 175 emerging diseases, 132 are zoonotic.

In the conference doctors discussed the importance to prevent cross infection, which can be done by social distance between man and other animal species. High-risk groups include infants and small children because of immature immune systems and poor hygiene, pregnant women, Elderly- whose immune systems may have been impaired, Immuno-compromised people, Agriculture workers, Medical practitioners, Researchers working on Animals,

Anthrax, Brucellosis, TB, Q-fever, Leptospirosis, KFD, JE, RSSE, Rabies, RVF, Plague, RKD, Psittacosis-ornithosis, Erysipeloid and Bird Flu, among others are also known as Occupational Zoonosis.

The experts participated in the deliberations of the meet were Dr Ashish Paturkar, associate dean, Bombay Veterinary College and expert on public health, Dr Ramesh Somvanshi, principal scientist and former head of the department of veterinary pathology, IVRI, Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh, Dr Arvind Ingle, scientist and in-charge of animal lab facility, Tata Memorial Centre Mumbai, Dr Shashi Mehta, head of department, microbiology, KEM Hospital, Dr R P Rajpal, veteran cancer surgeon Mumbai, Suman Shrivastava, advisor, MIEF and director, healing touch and rehabilitation centre, Mumbai.