Zoonotic diseases are defined as contagious diseases spreading between animals and humans. These diseases are caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi that are carried by animals and insects. About 75 percent of recently emerging infectious diseases affecting humans are diseases of animal origin, and approximately 60 percent of all human pathogens are zoonotic. In recent fifteen years, the authors have chosen parasitic, viral and bacterial zoonoses as potential studying fields from which a range of diverse results have been achieved. the research is divided into two areas: i) Basic research aiming to obtain genomes and genetic sources for providing data to field application
ii) Applied research for obtaining genetic markers beeing used for studying epidemiology, diagnosis, species identification, and new generation vaccines. In recent 20 years, a number of multiple-host infectious diseases have been emerged including those caused by viral pathogens (ie., A/H5Nl influenza virus), particularly, in recent years, newly detected clades, 2.3.4
2.3.2.1A, B, C circulating in Vietnam. Papers presenting the achievements trom these topics have mainly been published in Journal of Biotechnology (Tap chi Cong nghe Sinh hoc) and the authors have focused on citation of those published in this journal. Hereby an overview of the research and publications is presented, divided into three categories: i) Sequencing of mitochondrial geneslgenomes of parasites and application of their genetic markers
ii) Studies on genes/genomes of bacteria and viruses for epidemiological/diagnostic application
and iii) Vectoral based technology and application for development of new generation products. Medical and veterinary studies on zoonotic agents must be continually undertaken due to genetic changes, pathogens are always undergoing variations all time by time leading to emergence of diseases that posing challenges a tropical country like Vietnam would be facing.