Every July 6th, the world commemorates Zoonoses Day, a moment of reflection on medical success as well as a reminder of the threat of infectious diseases originating from animals. This commemoration refers to the history of July 6, 1885, when Louis Pasteur first administered the rabies vaccine to a human. Today, however, the challenge of zoonoses has evolved into a more complex global health threat.
Data from the National Institutes of Health reveals an alarming fact: 60 percent of infectious diseases and 75 percent of new infections worldwide are zoonotic. These pathogens—which include viruses, bacteria, and parasites—are now increasingly easily jumping to humans due to massive forest destruction and deforestation, which force wildlife to interact more closely with human settlements.
In Indonesia, the government, through the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), continues to intensify mitigation efforts using the One Health approach. This strategy emphasizes cross-sectoral collaboration, synergizing human, animal, and environmental health to break the chain of transmission for diseases such as rabies, avian influenza, and worm infections, which remain public health challenges.
Experts from BRIN's Veterinary Research Center emphasize that prevention cannot rely solely on medical interventions like animal vaccination or sanitation improvements. Sustainable environmental governance is needed to reduce the risk of future outbreaks. Interdisciplinary collaboration is key to mapping pathogen characteristics and strengthening early detection systems to safeguard the nation's health security.
