By Dr Ganean Chetty Oertel — Veterinarian (BVSc)
TB Awareness Month & World Rabies Day Special Feature
The bond between humans and animals is ancient, intimate, and essential. We share homes, food systems, environments — and sometimes, unfortunately, diseases.
Zoonotic diseases are infections that pass between animals and humans. They account for the majority of emerging infectious diseases worldwide. The key to understanding them is awareness, prevention, and coordinated public health action.
As we observe TB Awareness Month and prepare for World Rabies Day, two major zoonotic threats deserve special attention: tuberculosis and rabies.
Rabies: A 100% Preventable Tragedy
Rabies remains one of the deadliest zoonotic diseases on earth. Caused by a virus that affects the central nervous system of mammals, rabies is always fatal once clinical signs appear — in both humans and animals.
Globally there are an estimated 59 000 deaths from rabies annually; however, due to underreporting, documented case numbers often differ from the estimate. 40% of whom are children living in Asia and Africa.
The tragedy is this: rabies is entirely preventable.
Vaccinating dogs interrupts transmission at its source. When at least 70% of the dog population is vaccinated, community-level protection is achieved. This is why mass dog vaccination campaigns are the cornerstone of rabies elimination strategies globally.
For humans, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) after a bite is highly effective — but access, cost, and delayed treatment remain barriers in many regions.
Rabies is often described as a veterinary disease, but it is fundamentally a public health issue. Controlling it requires collaboration between veterinarians, healthcare providers, municipalities, and communities. Where vaccination rates rise, deaths fall. The science is clear.
Tuberculosis: Not Just a Human Disease
When most people think of TB, they think of a human lung infection. However, TB is caused by bacteria within the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex — a group of organisms that infect both humans and animals.
World Health Organization estimates that millions of people develop TB annually. While human-to-human transmission is most common, zoonotic TB — particularly from cattle infected with Mycobacterium bovis — remains a concern in many parts of the world.
Humans may acquire zoonotic TB through:
- Consumption of unpasteurized dairy products
- Direct contact with infected livestock
- Occupational exposure (farmers, abattoir workers, veterinarians)
Conversely, humans can also transmit TB to animals, particularly in close-contact environments such as households, zoos, and wildlife rehabilitation settings.
This bidirectional transmission highlights a crucial principle known as the “One Health” approach — the understanding that human health, animal health, and environmental health are deeply interconnected. TB control in livestock protects people. TB screening and treatment in humans protects animals. Neither sector operates in isolation.
Other Important Zoonotic Diseases
Rabies and TB are only part of the picture. Other significant zoonotic diseases include:
- Brucellosis – transmitted via livestock and unpasteurized dairy
- Leptospirosis – spread through water contaminated with animal urine
- Dermatophytosis (Ringworm) – a fungal infection passed between pets and people
- Salmonellosis – linked to reptiles, poultry, and contaminated food.
This is just to name a few.
Prevention: Where Veterinary and Human Medicine Meet
Zoonotic disease control depends on collaboration between medical and veterinary sectors. Key preventive strategies include:
1. Vaccination
- Routine dog rabies vaccination
- Livestock disease control programs
- Pre-exposure rabies vaccination for high-risk professionals
2. Safe Food Practices
- Pasteurization of milk
- Proper meat inspection
- Hygienic food handling
3. Responsible Pet Ownership
- Regular veterinary check-ups
- Deworming and parasite control
- Immediate medical care after bites or scratches
4. Occupational Protection
- Protective equipment for high-risk workers
- TB screening in exposed individuals
- Biosecurity measures in farms and clinics
Why Awareness Matters
Zoonotic diseases disproportionately affect vulnerable communities — particularly where poverty, limited healthcare access, and uncontrolled animal populations intersect.
Awareness campaigns during TB Awareness Month and in the lead-up to World Rabies Day are lifesaving opportunities to educate communities about:
- Early symptom recognition
- Seeking medical care after animal bites/injuries
- Vaccinating and deworming animals
- Avoiding high-risk practices such as consuming raw milk
- Understand that animal health interventions protect human lives
Public health is strongest when communities understand their role within it.
A Shared Ecosystem, A Shared Responsibility
The emergence and persistence of zoonotic diseases are influenced by population growth, urbanisation, agricultural practices, wildlife interaction, and gaps in healthcare access.Zoonotic diseases remind us of something profound: we share more than companionship with animals — we share ecosystems and biological vulnerabilities. And in that shared space, prevention is our most powerful tool. Prevention begins long before illness appears.
Protecting animals through vaccination, proper healthcare, and responsible management protects people.Strengthening human healthcare systems protects animals. This reciprocal relationship is measurable in reduced infection rates, improved food safety, and lives saved.
This is the essence of One Health.And in a world where the next emerging disease may already be circulating silently, collaboration between veterinarians, physicians, public health officials, and communities is essential.