Endemic zoonoses in the tropics: a public health problem hiding in plain sight

Abstract

Zoonotic diseases are a significant burden on animal and human health, particularly in developing countries. Despite recognition of this fact, endemic zoonoses often remain undiagnosed in people, instead being mistaken for febrile diseases such as malaria. Here, as part of Veterinary Record's ongoing series of articles on One Health, a multidisciplinary team of researchers from Scotland, Tanzania and New Zealand argues that a One Health approach is needed to effectively combat these diseases.

Study team visiting a pastoral community in Tanzania. The collection of data on the presence and effects of zoonoses in linked animal and human populations is crucial to understanding the epidemiology and overall impacts of these diseases

A doctor hands over malaria medication at a hospital in Senegal. Studies have shown that, in tropical regions, zoonotic diseases in people are often misdiagnosed as malaria as they have similar symptoms

Goats and children from a household in Tanzania in which both people and livestock had been affected by brucellosis

Blood sampling of Tanzanian livestock workers at risk of infection with brucellosis