Rise in diseases spread from animals to people in Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that Africa is at an increased risk of outbreaks caused by zoonotic pathogens, such as the monkeypox virus, which is originally from animals but now affects humans.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), zoonotic diseases are caused by harmful germs like viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. These germs can cause many different types of illnesses in people and animals, ranging from mild to serious and even fatal. There has been a 63 per cent increase in the number of zoonotic outbreaks in the region in the decade from 2012-2022 compared to 2001-2011, according to World Health Organization (WHO) analysis.

Between 2001-2022 there were 1,843 public health events recorded in the WHO African region. Thirty per cent of these events were zoonotic disease outbreaks. While these numbers have increased over the past two decades, there was a spike in 2019 and 2020 when zoonotic pathogens represented around 50 per cent of public health events.

Recent data on monkeypox reveal a significant increase in cases since April 2022, compared to the same period in 2021. The increase is mainly observed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria.  The increase in zoonotic cases may be due to several reasons. Africa has the world’s fastest-growing population and there is a growing demand for food derived from animals including meat, poultry, eggs, and milk.

“Infections originating in animals and then jumping to humans have been happening for centuries, but the risk of mass infections and deaths had been relatively limited in Africa. Poor transport infrastructure acted as a natural barrier,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti WHO regional director for Africa. “However, with improved transportation in Africa, there is an increased threat of zoonotic pathogens traveling to large urban centres. We must act now to contain zoonotic diseases before they can cause widespread infections and stop Africa from becoming a hotspot for emerging infectious diseases.”

The rise in zoonotic diseases in Africa is complex and WHO recommends a one-health approach which requires multiple sectors, disciplines, and communities to work in collaboration. This includes a wide range of experts, including those working in human, animal, and environmental health.  Routine disease surveillance information and response activities—for both animal and human health—should be shared among epidemiologists and other public health experts. “We need all hands on deck to prevent and control zoonotic diseases such as Ebola, monkeypox and even other coronaviruses,” said Dr Moeti. “Zoonotic diseases are caused by spillover events from animals to humans. Only when we break down the walls between disciplines can we tackle all aspects of the response,” he added.