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Emerging parasite zoonoses
International Journal for Parasitology 30 (2000) v
www.parasitology-online.com
Introduction
Emerging parasite zoonoses
Emerging infectious diseases represent a threat to most countries of the developed and developing world. They include novel, re-emerging and drug-resistant infections with a documented increase, or predicted increase, in incidence. Whether they are imported or arise locally, the medical and economic impact can be enormous, and the emergence could require massive diversion of resources for their control. Novel and re-emerging zoonotic diseases are of particular concern because of the dif®culties in controlling infections with an often, unknown assemblage of animal reservoirs, and the dif®culties in evaluating the public health risk of a spill over of disease transmission to humans. Over the past decade more than two-thirds of emerging diseases are known to have originated from animals [1]. There are also emerging issues related to conservation, particularly of endangered species, because of the problems such emerging diseases may in¯ict on wildlife [2]. Because of their diversity, often complex modes of transmission, and the in¯uence of human involvement in the perpetuation of their life cycles, parasitic zoonoses represent a signi®cant challenge for disease control. Adequate surveillance and education remain the most important tools in controlling such infections. However, this requires adequate knowledge about the aetiological agents. In this special issue of the International Journal for Parasitology, there are 15 chapters devoted to the subject of emerging parasitic
zoonoses. The ®rst nine chapters examine the major aetiological agents of parasitic zoonoses, looking at both reemerging and emerging infections. Factors associated with emergence are dealt with in four chapters that investigate factors such as the in¯uence of the host-parasite relationship, environmental changes, pet ownership, food and water borne transmission. Finally the essential, prerequisite ingredients for control in terms of accurate diagnosis and predictive epidemiology are discussed in the closing two chapters.
References [1] World Health Organization. Report on infectious diseases: removing obstacles to healthy development. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1999. [2] Daszak P, Cunningham AA, Hyatt AD. Emerging diseases of wildlife ± threats to biodiversity and human health. Science 2000;287:443±9.
R.C. Andrew Thompson* WHO Collaborating Centre for the Molecular Epidemiology of Parasitic Infections, Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia
* Fax: 161-8-9310-4144. E-mail address: [email protected] (R.C.A. Thompson). 0020-7519/00/$20.00 q 2000 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0020-751 9(00)00123-5
www.parasitology-online.com
Introduction
Emerging parasite zoonoses
Emerging infectious diseases represent a threat to most countries of the developed and developing world. They include novel, re-emerging and drug-resistant infections with a documented increase, or predicted increase, in incidence. Whether they are imported or arise locally, the medical and economic impact can be enormous, and the emergence could require massive diversion of resources for their control. Novel and re-emerging zoonotic diseases are of particular concern because of the dif®culties in controlling infections with an often, unknown assemblage of animal reservoirs, and the dif®culties in evaluating the public health risk of a spill over of disease transmission to humans. Over the past decade more than two-thirds of emerging diseases are known to have originated from animals [1]. There are also emerging issues related to conservation, particularly of endangered species, because of the problems such emerging diseases may in¯ict on wildlife [2]. Because of their diversity, often complex modes of transmission, and the in¯uence of human involvement in the perpetuation of their life cycles, parasitic zoonoses represent a signi®cant challenge for disease control. Adequate surveillance and education remain the most important tools in controlling such infections. However, this requires adequate knowledge about the aetiological agents. In this special issue of the International Journal for Parasitology, there are 15 chapters devoted to the subject of emerging parasitic
zoonoses. The ®rst nine chapters examine the major aetiological agents of parasitic zoonoses, looking at both reemerging and emerging infections. Factors associated with emergence are dealt with in four chapters that investigate factors such as the in¯uence of the host-parasite relationship, environmental changes, pet ownership, food and water borne transmission. Finally the essential, prerequisite ingredients for control in terms of accurate diagnosis and predictive epidemiology are discussed in the closing two chapters.
References [1] World Health Organization. Report on infectious diseases: removing obstacles to healthy development. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1999. [2] Daszak P, Cunningham AA, Hyatt AD. Emerging diseases of wildlife ± threats to biodiversity and human health. Science 2000;287:443±9.
R.C. Andrew Thompson* WHO Collaborating Centre for the Molecular Epidemiology of Parasitic Infections, Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia
* Fax: 161-8-9310-4144. E-mail address: [email protected] (R.C.A. Thompson). 0020-7519/00/$20.00 q 2000 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0020-751 9(00)00123-5