Neglected Zoonotic Diseases

Many zoonoses are endemic in developing countries, especially in tropical areas, and they have many negative impacts on both the health and economic conditions. They tend to be underreported but they can trigger significant morbidity, particularly among people living especially in rural areas. The World Health Organization (WHO) from 32 member states is attempting to control 17 neglected zoonotic diseases:

• Buruli ulcer (Mycobacterium ulcerans)
• Chagas Disease
• Dengue
• Dracunculiasis (Guinea Worm)
• Echinococcosis
• Food-borne diseases
• Human African trypanosomiasis
• Leishmaniasis
• Leprosy (Mycobacterium leprae)
• Lymphatic filariasis
• Onchocerciasis (River Blindness)
• Rabies
• Schistosomiasis
• Soil-transmitted helminthiasis
• Taeniasis/Cysticercosis
• Trachoma (Chlamydia trachomatis)
• Yaws

This list actually adds up to 18, but that is possibly because Guinea Worm Disease is poised to become the second human disease (the first being smallpox) to become eradicated, thanks to the Carter Center which was founded by former President Jimmy Carter.

If there is difficulty recognizing some of these diseases, it is because many do not pose a threat in wealthier, developed countries, thereby emphasizing the fact that they are "neglected". Many of these could also be termed diseases of neglected populations; poverty and lack of a voice have prevented these diseases from receiving the attention that those in developed areas have received.

Just one example of a disease many are unaware of is the Buruli ulcer found in tropical areas and caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. It is found in possums, alpacas, and cattle, among others. The top figure indicates endemic areas, and the bottom picture shows the painful, debilitating ulcer.