Neglected Bacterial and Parasitic Zoonoses of Tropical Countries

Abstract

Approximately 60% of human infectious diseases are zoonotic. Many of these zoonotic diseases are endemic in developing countries, adversely impacting people’s health and livelihood. Most of these endemic zoonoses are neglected because they affect explicitly the socioeconomically poor communities. Due to the endemic status, the diseases are often underreported and remain highly neglected. Despite knowing the fact that neglected zoonotic diseases (NZDs) add to a substantial socioeconomic burden of a country, it is difficult to assess the mortality and morbidity caused by the lack of diagnostic facilities, poor surveillance, inadequate veterinary or medical care, and at times underreported owing to undifferentiated clinical symptoms. However, most of these NZDs are preventable; hence, awareness of their epidemiology, transmission, prevention, and control measures is fundamental. Some of the critically neglected zoonotic diseases, such as anthrax, bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, leptospirosis, cysticercosis, echinococcosis, toxoplasmosis, and trichinellosis, are discussed in this chapter