Upcoming COCA Call: November 2, 2017: The Ecology of Emerging Zoonotic Diseases

Zoonotic viruses–those which are transmitted between animals and people, represent an important group of pathogens that are responsible for a growing number of significant epidemics. SARS coronavirus, Ebola, Nipah virus, avian influenza, and perhaps most importantly, HIV, are all recently emergent zoonotic viruses that originated in wild animal populations and have caused significant morbidity and mortality in human, and in some cases, animal populations. Zoonotic viruses can have profound health and economic impacts globally, even when occurring in relatively isolated regions, thereby making them a significant challenge for the global health community. The majority of viral pandemics are triggered by human activities such as deforestation, agricultural expansion and intensification, urbanization, hunting, travel, and wildlife trade. To be able to minimize the impact of emerging viral zoonoses requires an understanding of the viral diversity within key wildlife reservoirs, the types of human behaviors that increase exposure to an infection with zoonotic viruses, and the ability to rapidly identify the etiologic agent behind clusters of human or domestic animal disease so that effective interventions can be implemented. During this COCA Call, participants will gain a broad understanding of how spillover and disease emergence occurs. This COCA Call will use Nipah virus and Ebola virus as case studies and discuss effective interventions that reduce the risk of spillover of both known and unknown pathogens from wildlife. We will also discuss efforts that are currently underway to enhance the global community's capacity to detect and respond to the emergence of novel zoonoses.

from # All Medicine by Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2z2aqJB
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