Table of Contents

Public Health Problems Arising from Wild Animals

In general zoological gardens, Parks, Corporation zoos seem like natural places to encounter a wide variety of zoonotic diseases.

Wild animals can transmit disease to humans in the following ways:

Certain procedures should be followed in order to decrease possible health hazards to human personnel’s.
New animals should be properly checked out, before they are added to the collection.
Proper restraint technique, either physical or chemical should be employed to prevent animal bites.
Protective clothing that can be cleaned or disposed of after use.
Personnel hygiene, including washing hands before eating, should be strictly enforced.
Good sanitation and ventilation greatly decrease the rate of disease transmission.
Vaccinations of keepers for measles, polio, rabies, mumps, tetanus is beneficial.
Zoos should not receive or transport any animals that are in bad condition.
Proper quarantine measures should be carried out.
Proper report of zoonotic disease is essential.

Precautionary Measures for Staff Members of Zoo

Hands should be washed frequently especially after handling the animal, its food, bedding, enclosure materials, excrement and / or tissue and body fluids.
Cages should be cleaned so as to minimize the risk of creating aerosols or droplets of potentially infectious materials. Wearing protective clothing, especially masks, gloves and glasses or goggles.
The staff should be instructed to engage in proper personnel hygiene procedures in and out of the workplace.
Staff members who are ill with a cold and or having a cold sore should avoid working around the animals.
If staff members get sick they should seek medical attention.
A baseline serum sample should be collected from all personnel working with animals for periodical screening for infectious diseases.
Staff members should take precautions to avoid any physical injury in handling them.
An effective means for handling, reporting, evaluating and treating occupational exposures to possible zoonotic infections should be developed for the institution.
Individuals with a known immuno deficiency diseases should be extremely cautious in working with potentially infected animals or materials.
An active insect and rodent control program should be instituted in the facility.
Personnel who have open cuts or sores on their hands should wear gloves while working around animals and their faeces.

In addition to the precautions to be followed by the staff members visitors are at their own risk and also acts as agents in spreading the diseases.

Visitors should not spit inside the animal premises, which may lead to spread of infection. Avoid touching of animal cages as it may be contaminated.