World Zoonoses Day 2024: Zoonosis or Zoonotic diseases refer to the infections or infectious diseases that originate from animals. Be it swine flu or, rabies or bird flu or foodborne infections, a large number of diseases have their origin in animals, which can be fatal for humans. A study was conducted by CDC which showed that of all the diseases that exist to date, about 60 percent of them are zoonotic in nature, and about 70 percent of the emerging infections have their origin in animals. It is important to understand the impact of zoonotic diseases on human health and take necessary precautions. Every year, World Zoonoses Day is observed with the intention of creating awareness about zoonotic diseases. As we gear up to celebrate the important day, here are a few things that we should keep in mind.

World Zoonoses Day 2024: Date

Every year, World Zoonoses Day is observed on July 6. This year, World Zoonoses Day will be celebrated on Saturday.

World Zoonoses Day 2024: History

On July 6, 1885, French Biologist Louis Pasteur administered a rabies vaccine to a young boy who was bitten by a rabid dog. This vaccine ensured that the boy was saved from the infection. On September 29, 1976, Ebola was discovered, which was named after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 as a world health emergency. Nations went into lockdowns and multiple waves of the virus came in. Later, the COVID-19 vaccine was administered to billions of people. World Zoonoses Day is observed on July 6 to commemorate the day when Louis Pasteur successfully administered the first Rabies vaccine and saved a life.

World Zoonoses Day 2024: Significance

The best way to observe this important day is by understanding how zoonotic diseases can spread. If we have a pet at home, we should get them vaccinated to keep themselves and the people around them safe. In pet shelters, often animals are not properly vaccinated. We can volunteer for that. We should also read about zoonotic diseases and understand their impact, as well as the precautionary measures we can take to prevent them.