According to Max Kutner from Smithsonian, “Zoonotic pathogens, which spread between animals and humans, have caused almost three-quarters of infectious diseases in humans this century.” Although many people have never heard of these diseases, we should put more funding towards finding these pathogens as it can save millions of lives.
These pathogens are unknown to so many people, including me, but at a time of crisis, such as right now, everyone should try to learn about it since the coronavirus is also a zoonotic pathogen. This virus first came from bats and transferred to humans. For a pathogen that is unknown to the majority of the people, it causes many diseases each year. Marc Valitutto, former veterinarian, searching for new viruses is “a grueling job, but this is what’s required if you want to prevent 90,000 deaths, which is what we’re seeing today. So, it’s a small investment monetarily compared to what we’re spending now.” Being able to detect these small pathogens can block many deaths. If one is given the choice to put some money towards a research center or risking their lives, the choice should be simple.
In addition, Suzan Murray, a zoo veterinarian says, “We need to be building the wildlife resources and the capacity to do wildlife testing and wildlife surveillance.” If these vets were given the chance to do tests on zoonotic pathogens, they could’ve stopped the pandemic before it hit or at least reduced much of the damage. However, that is already in the past, so from now on, after everyone has experienced this global pandemic, hopefully, we will be able to make these changes. Maybe we can even stop another terrible virus that might be a zoonotic pathogen. Even though zoonotic pathogens may only seem important to doctors and veterinarians, everyone who cares about their own and others well-beings should try to learn more about it and possibly help research centers find out more about them.