Tackling the Problems of Emergence, Re-Emergence and Maintenance of Zoonoses by Wildlife Reservoirs in the Twenty First Century

Wildlife species have played a central role in the emergence, re-emergence and maintenance of major zoonotic diseases that pose serious threats to public health worldwide. These zoonoses are associated with high morbidity and mortality. The human immunodeficiency virus alone infects 33.3 million people worldwide, causing 1.8 million deaths and 1.9 million new cases in sub-Saharan Africa yearly. Human-wildlife contacts that result in zoonotic disease transmission include; the consumption of bushmeat, live wildlife trade, hunting and visits to game reserves. Despite the benefits derived from wildlife by several nations especially in the provision of animal protein requirements and the development of national economies, these contacts expose the public globally to the risk of zoonoses from wildlife reservoirs. Tackling these problems requires educating the public of the risk of zoonoses and the possible ways of contracting them from wildlife, vaccination of humans and wildlife against vaccinable zoonoses, wildlife disease surveillance, veterinary inspection of bushmeat before consumption, enforcement of regulations relating to wildlife disease management, fertility control and culling. Stake holders in the areas of public and animal health at local, national and international levels as well as non-governmental organizations should support in the funding of wildlife disease management programmes so as to curtail this menace.