Is zoonotic infectious diseases becoming more and more common? The study focused on land use

COVID-
epidemic is still spreading around the world, and in fact, new infectious diseases have appeared more frequently in the population since the 21st century. What's behind it? Environmental factors are one of the key words often pointed out by epidemiologists.
On the evening of August 5th, a study published in Nature, a leading academic journal, found that changes in global land use are disrupting the balance of wildlife in our environment, with more people living in zoonotic habitats than in undisturbed habitats. The study highlights the importance of enhanced monitoring of ecosystems in agriculture, livestock and urbanization, taking into account the health costs associated with diseases related to land use and conservation planning.
the study, entitled "Zoonotic diversity increases in human-dominated ecosystems", was carried out by researchers from University College London (UCL), Oxford University, Imperial College London, the Zoology Society of London (ZSL) and was written by David W. Redding and Kate E. Jones of University College London.
paper, zoonotic diseases such as Ebola, Rasa fever and Lyme disease are caused by pathogens transmitted from animals to humans. It is widely believed that land-use changes, such as the conversion of natural habitats to agricultural land or cities, can affect the risk and emergence of zoonotic diseases infecting humans.
"The Ebola, SARS and now COVID-19 outbreaks in West Africa have shown that once new infectious diseases spread through populations, they are more likely to spread to densely populated urban centres or rapidly move around the world through air transport networks," Dr. Rory Gibb of the Centre for Biological Diversity and Environmental Research at University College London, the study's lead author, told the Monitor. "In a more urbanized and globalized socio-economic world, interconnected global systems promote the spread of wildlife infectious diseases and increase the likelihood that they will become more serious regional and global epidemics. For the study, the team analyzed 6,801 ecosystems and 376 host species worldwide from data sets from 184 studies involving nearly 7,000 species, 376 of which are known to carry pathogens common to humans.
that land use has a global and systematic impact on local livestock-sick host groups. In human-influenced environments, zoonotic pathogens (which can jump from animals to humans) account for a higher proportion of species and populations than ecological communities in wild habitats. Such effects are strongest for rodents, bats and finch-shaped birds, which may help explain why they live in the mainstream as zoonotic diseases. The team believes that we may need to change the way land is used around the world to reduce the risk of future spread of infectious diseases. "The way humans change land around the world, from natural forests to farmland, has had a sustained impact on many wildlife species, resulting in a decline in the number of some species and a sustained or increasing number of others," Gibb said. "
that animals living in human-dominated environments are more likely to carry infectious diseases, making humans sick," Gibb explained.
the world is still fighting a zoonotic pandemic of COVID-19, the team cautions that changes in global land use are increasing the chances of human-human contact with potential hosts of human diseases. "Other studies have found that outbreaks of emerging zoonotic infectious diseases appear to be becoming more common, and our findings may explain the increasing prevalence of infections from potentially mutually influential ecological processes that drive the risk of infection," Redding stressed. The
team believes that while there are many other factors that affect the risk of sudden illness, these findings provide strategies that may help mitigate the risk of further outbreaks of new infections like COVID-19. "Our study also raises broader questions about the systematic approach to transforming the ecosystem for the benefit of humanity and ecological health," Gibb told reporters. Gibb
, says people need to consider disease risks and other health factors in land-use planning and other policy areas. Globally, there is also a need to address upstream economic drivers of land-use change, such as overseas economic and trade pressures, which affect biodiversity and disease hazards in many parts of the world.
Gibb says people need to consider disease risk and other health factors in land-use planning and other policy areas. Globally, there is also a need to address upstream economic drivers of land-use change, such as overseas economic and trade pressures, which affect biodiversity and disease hazards in many parts of the world.