World Zoonoses Day is celebrated on 6 July every year to highlight zoonotic diseases and efforts to control them. Partners in our Hub held a two-minute silence to reflect on those who have suffered in the COVID-19 pandemic as well as from the many other endemic and emergent zoonotic diseases that blight millions of lives and livelihoods around the world each year.

Two-minute silence by AAU team
The AAU team holds a two-minute silence for World Zoonosese Day

Some of our partners shared their thoughts:

Dirk Pfeifer, of City University of Hong Kong, said: “The emergence of zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19 should act as a wake-up call for us to urgently re-examine our priorities as human beings on this planet, in that we will have to aim for establishing a sustainable balance between the needs of the planet’s ecosystems and our perceived needs as humans in pursuit of a good life.”

Nusrat Irin, of Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Bangladesh, said: “Many people do not understand the term zoonoses and we celebrate this day by spreading the knowledge of zoonotic diseases and its prevention. I feel mass knowledge, consciousness, about such diseases can make a great difference. A country should give more emphasis on research, investigation, and education in this field.”

World Zoonosis Day in Vietnam
The CIRAD team marks World Zoonoses Day.

Hayley MacGregor, of the Institute of Development Studies, UK, said: “My thoughts lie with people in countries where there are deep social inequalities that are being heightened by COVID-19 and where there is no universal access to healthcare or big divides in resources and outcomes between private and public healthcare.”

Haidaruliman Paleja, of Anand Agricultural University, India, said: “Not only do zoonotic diseases impact on people’s health, they also impact on their livelihoods. Humans are accountable for zoonotic diseases even though they are transmitted from animal to humans.”

Two-Minute silence by Tanuvas team
The TANUVAS team holds a two-minute silence.

Pham Thi Thanh Hoa, of CIRAD, Vietnam, said: “The team in Vietnam, in collaboration with overseas investigators, makes efforts to manage zoonotic diseases related to poultry. From farm to fork, we are working together to make food safe.”

Prakash Koringa, of Anand Agricultural University in India, said: “Let’s hope that a miraculous discovery, like Louis Pasteur’s, will come to rescue mankind against COVID-9.”

Nitish Debnath
Partner Professor Nitish Debnath holds the two-minute silence from his home.

Paritosh Biswas, of Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, said: “On World Zoonoses Day we need to remember to save lives so please maintain physical distancing of six feet or more and wear mask in public places.”

Mahmudul Hasan, of the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, said: “The world is our abode, if we keep it safe It will keep us safe, if we keep it healthy it will keep us healthy.”