Infectious diseases pose a significant worldwide public health threat, with the potential to cause widespread disease, death, and social and economic disruption. Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are diseases that are introduced into the population for the first time or already existing diseases with a rapid incidence increase or spread to a new geographical area. Most EIDs are of zoonotic origin, meaning they emerged from an animal species and crossed species barriers to infect humans. Therefore, wildlife species play a key role in disease emergence, harboring a pool of previously unknown zoonotic pathogens that can emerge under the right prerequisites. Zoonotic diseases are caused by a plethora of infectious agents, including bacteria, parasites, fungi, prions, and viruses. Viral zoonoses are of utmost importance, particularly RNA viruses, which pose a concerning threat to human health. The exchange of genetic material between two viruses co-infecting the same host cell, a mechanism termed reassortment, is an exclusive trait in RNA viruses that harbors a segmented genome. Reassortment plays a significant role in genetic diversification, viral evolution, and the emergence of novel strains with altered characteristics, such as increased host range or virulence. In order to prevent and control future outbreaks, it is crucial to decipher the underlying causes and mechanisms driving zoonotic disease emergence and transmission, here with an emphasis on deciphering the dynamics of segmented RNA viruses.