Blame apportioning and the emergence of zoonoses over the last 25 years.

Over the last 25 years zoonoses have emerged and re-emerged worldwide without a specific pattern or trend. The most recent ones (1998-2008) are geographically limited to Southeast Asia, making this salient region the most immediate culprit. The media, experts and politicians have helped shape public perceptions regarding the origin of emerging zoonoses. Assigning blame to certain countries or regions can results in social, political, cultural and economic consequences that turn out to be unjustified, unfair and ultimately detrimental.