Diseases transmitted to humans by animals have jumped 63% in ten years.
The African continent is facing an increasing risk of epidemics caused by pathogens passed from animals to humans. Analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that these health alerts jumped 63% between 2012 and 2022 compared to the previous decade – with a peak recorded in 2019 and 2020. Two thirds of emergences observed were due to Ebola virus and other similar hemorrhagic fevers. The remaining third included dengue fever, anthrax, plague or monkeypox.
The analysis is published as Tanzania announced on Wednesday July 13 that it had launched an investigation into an as yet unidentified disease, which has caused the death of three people. Symptoms detected in thirteen patients in the Lindi area include nosebleeds, fever, headaches and fatigue. “Preliminary analyzes ruled out Ebola and Marburg viruses, but the samples were sent to the WHO reference laboratory for…
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