Editorial: Emerging Zoonoses: Eco-Epidemiology, Involved Mechanisms, and Public Health Implications

2015

Zoonoses are currently considered as one of the most important threats for Public Health worldwide. Zoonoses can be defined as any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate or invertebrate animals to humans and vice-versa. Approximately, 75% of recently emerging infectious diseases affecting humans are diseases of animal origin; approximately, 60% of all human pathogens are zoonotic. All types of potential pathogenic agents, including viruses, parasites, bacteria, and fungi, can cause these zoonotic infections. From the wide range of potential vectors of zoonoses, arthropods are probably those of major significance due to their abundance, high plasticity, adaptabi…