WORLD ZOONOSES DAY
World Zoonoses Day – July 6
World Zoonoses Day, observed annually on July 6, raises awareness about zoonotic diseases—infections that spread between animals and humans, such as rabies, COVID-19, Ebola, Lassa fever, bovine tuberculosis, and avian influenza. The date commemorates Louis Pasteur’s successful administration of the first rabies vaccine on July 6, 1885, marking a milestone in disease prevention. This day highlights the importance of vaccination, responsible animal care, food safety, and environmental hygiene in controlling zoonotic threats. It also promotes the One Health approach, which emphasizes collaboration between human, animal, and environmental health sectors to prevent future outbreaks and protect global health.
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World Zoonoses Day 2023
World Zoonoses Day, celebrated on July 6, 2023, also commemorates the first rabies vaccine given on July 6, 1885. Currently, it is estimated 60% of infectious diseases and up to 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in origin. This year’s theme, "One World, One Health: Prevent Zoonoses!" emphasizes the need to break the cycle of transmission to prevent future pandemics. The COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder of how zoonotic infectious disease can be a problem globally from one community.
One World, One Health: Prevent Zoonoses
World Zoonoses Day is celebrated on July 6 to raise awareness about diseases in the human-animal interface. More than two-thirds of emerging infectious diseases have their origins in animals. Examples of zoonotic diseases or zoonoses (diseases transmitted between animals and humans) include Zika virus, Ebola virus, avian flu, SARS, MERS, West Nile virus, Lyme disease, and yellow fever. The theme of World Zoonoses Day is "One World, One Health: Prevent Zoonoses." This theme emphasizes the need to break the transmission cycle to prevent future pandemics like COVID-19.