Urban and agricultural ecosystems may increase risk and emergence of animal-to-human disease transmission
Land-use change, environmental degradation and related human interaction with animals in the food systems are widely recognised to influence the risk and emergence of zoonotic diseases (those that can be transmitted from animals to people) in humans1. Using a large global dataset, this study examines whether this influence is underpinned by predictable ecological changes. The analysis reveals that, as ecosystems become increasingly dominated by humans, zoonotic host diversity also increases — creating hazardous interfaces between people, livestock and wildlife reservoirs of zoonotic disease.
