Many new human pathogens that have emerged or reemerged worldwide originated from animals or from products of animal origin. Many animal species as well as categories of agents have been involved in the emergence of diseases. Nearly all of these emergent disease episodes have involved zoonotic infectious agents; that is, they have involved the transmission of the etiologic agent to humans from an ongoing reservoir life cycle in animals or arthropods. Control of zooneses depends on attempts to reduce vector populations of limit contact with reservior species. But in most instances, the control efforts require environmental or human behavioral modification in addition to direct efforts at vector population reduction.
We described the general ecological characteristics of zoonses and epidemiologic features of 7 important zoonoses in Korea-anthrax, brucellosis, rabies, E. coli O157 infection, japanese B encephalitis, bovine spongiform encephalitis and variant Creutzfelt-Jacob diseases, and high pathogenic avian influenza. We have made some suggestions in this article. First the network of medical field and veterinary field(including experts and governmental organization) should be systematically organized in zoonosis surveillance, epidemic investigation, outbreak control and so forth. Second, we should practically prepare the new emerging epidemics-including pandemic and bioterrorism in connection with zoonoses control. Third, we need ecological and epidemiological basic studies on zoonoses in Korea, and finally, the zoonoses control policy should be connected food safety.
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