Links between ecological integrity, emerging infectious disease and other aspects of human health - an overview of the literature

Abstract

Environmental degradation has significantly altered ecological systems worldwide and continues to expand into new areas. Majority of infectious disease threars are zoonotic and often cause a major social and economic impacts. Ecological degradation by humans increases overall emerging zoonotic disease risks. The increased risk results from multiple interacting pathways including increased human contact with pathogens and disruption in pathogen ecology. Degradation of ecosystem also has complex effects, feedback loops and some notable negative impacts on many other aspects of human health, including; the prevalence of long established (endemic0 zoonotic diseases, vector-borne and water-borne diseases; air quality, nutrition, menatl health and access to traditional medicines as well as effects on human health through the impacts of climate change. In avoiding environmental degradation (by keeping ecosystems as intact as poddible and avoid creation of high risk interface zones and high risk activities that increases human wildlife contact), combined with broader One Health approaches that address the full range of risk factors, will help to reduce risk to humanity from emerging zoonoses and can have othe beneficial health outcomes as well. Hence protecting ecological integrity should be a a proority action within any comprehensive plan to avoid future zoonotic outbreaks, alongside other critical measures such as addressing the wildlife trade, building surveillance and response system providing global access to health care and mitigating disease risks associated with domestic animals.