Prof. Janice Reis Ciacci Zanella

EMERGING VIRAL DISEASES: RECENT GLOBAL TREATS

Emerging diseases continue to emerge in nature and affect living beings on all continents. It is assumed that a pathogenic agent emerges in the world every 4 months, and of these, 75% are zoonotic. Zoonotic diseases affect billions of people worldwide, causing million deaths every year. Monitoring zoonotic viruses is essential, as viruses evolve naturally through mutation, rearrangement, or recombination, becoming more virulent or transmissible. Emerging swine viruses pose a threat to herd health and have caused losses in the last decades. Factors contributing to these phenomena include failures in biosecurity, biocontainment, and herd immunity imbalance. The world is on alert with outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza occurring in wild or domestic birds and mammals. As it is a zoonosis and a virus that is in constant evolution, it is important to be prepared for an effective response and surveillance. However, we must think less about species and more about systems. The impact of pandemics like COVID-19 on human health and the global economy is immense, emphasizing the importance of integrating human, animal, and environmental health approaches. One health implementation is crucial to avoid the drivers of disease emergence or spillover factors. It also deals with the development and adoption of effective public policies for disease surveillance, prevention, response, and control. Everything is connected and complex, with multisectoral and multidisciplinary work being essential. However, implementing One Health is much more than zoonoses; it includes nutritious foods, food safety, antimicrobial resistance, and many other aspects of environmental health.