"Pros and Cons of Viral Zoonotic Diseases: A Public Health Nutrition Perspective and Policy Implication in Nigeria"

Abstract

Many of the infectious diseases of public health importance globally are zoonotic in nature, hence, there is need to exemplify these diseases with identifiable benefits and demerits for a better policy review towards improved public health. This is therefore a review of viral zoonotic diseases with emphasis on those that are and can be food-borne with the identifiable pros and cons tailored towards policy making and implementation enhancement with a conceptual framework drawn out for Nigeria. The search engines accessed are: Google search, Google scholar, PubMed and HINARI. Zoonotic diseases can be classified based on the causative pathogens which are virus, parasite, bacteria, fungi and prions. Some of the viral zoonotic diseases discussed are: Bird flu-Avian Influenza, Barmah Forest fever, COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Eastern Equine encephalitis, Ebola, Lassa fever, Dengue fever, Rift Valley fever, Hantavirus disease, Henipavirus disease, Hepatitis E, Human Immunodeficiency viral disease, etc. These diseases have associated merits and demerits.The pros as identified are: possibility of developing natural immunity against the disease in infected humans after recovery most especially in few viral zoonoses; outbreak of zoonosis may enforce proper channeling of resources for human benefits; outbreak of a zoonotic disease may also draw and command global attention to the endemic areas for aids; after an outbreak developed infrastructures, especially in the health sector, may be a trade off from an effective and prompt response to a zoonosis outbreak; there may exist a rapid concomitant technological and intellectual advancement due to the development of vaccines, drugs and other logistics to combat the disease as in the case of COVID-19. The cons as expected are accruable to both the measureable and non measureable reduction in quality of life, loss of lives and animals which are hazardous to human, animal and environmental sustainability, hence, a defective ecosystem that work against sustainable development. Zoonotic diseases are really with accompanied merits and demerits which if properly considered and addressed may be helpful in adequate and effective policy evaluation, review, upgrading and implementation towards sustainable development.