Viral Zoonoses

Zoonotic viral infections represent an important public health problem across the globe. Unlike infectious agents that are limited to humans, the presence of domestic and wild animal reservoirs and insect and arthropod vectors greatly complicate transmission dynamics and make control measures very difficult to implement. Some viral zoonoses are categorized as “emerging infectious diseases” because they are newly recognized or have shown significant changes in their geographic range and/or epidemiologic characteristics. This article provides updated information on the current status of the most important viral zoonotic diseases. The recent upsurge in Ebola virus infections in West Africa and the emergence of Zika virus in the Western Hemisphere are highlighted.