Menu Close

Articles on Zoonotic diseases

Displaying 21 - 40 of 99 articles

Sindhi cattle near Amazon rainforest: flexitarian diets could feed the growing world population without further encroaching onto wild habitat. Lucas Ninno via GettyImages

Eating less food from animal sources is key to reducing the risk of wildlife-origin diseases and global warming

Infectious diseases originating in wild animals are high and may be increasing. This is a sign that ecosystem degradation is undermining the planet’s capacity to sustain human wellbeing.
Magnified and colourized monkeypox virus particles. Since early May, over 550 confirmed cases of human infection with monkeypox virus have been reported in 30 countries. (NIAID)

Monkeypox FAQ: How is it transmitted? Where did it come from? What are the symptoms? Does smallpox vaccine prevent it?

Recent outbreaks have drawn attention to monkeypox. Get answers to common questions about this relative of the smallpox virus, including transmission, symptoms and effectiveness of smallpox vaccine.
COVID-19 will not be the last infectious disease event of our time. We need to prepare for the next challenge with evidence and knowledge. (Shutterstock)

Future infectious diseases: Recent history shows we can never again be complacent about pathogens

Before COVID-19, clean water, antibiotics and vaccines had made us complacent about infectious disease. Infection control can no longer be taken for granted. We must be prepared for future pandemics.
Xenotransplantation is the transplanting of cells, tissues or organs from animals to humans. Pre-clinical trials of organ transplant from pigs have addressed some of the technical barriers. (Shutterstock)

Organ transplants from pigs: Medical miracle or pandemic in the making?

New developments in organ transplants from animals show promise. However, there has been no public engagement about a potential risk. It may streamline a pathway to humans for new zoonotic diseases.
There is only ‘one health’ — the health of all living organisms in a global ecosystem that, when rapidly altered and imbalanced, puts us all at risk for future pandemics. (Canva)

One Health: A crucial approach to preventing and preparing for future pandemics

One Health recognizes the interrelations between the health of humans, other animals, and their shared environments. It should be integrated in the international treaty on pandemics.
Disturbing the habitats of horseshoe bats, like these in Borneo, increases the risk of virus spillover. Mike Prince/Flickr

Preventing future pandemics starts with recognizing links between human and animal health

How can nations prevent more pandemics like COVID-19? One priority is reducing the risk of diseases’ jumping from animals to humans. And that means understanding how human actions fuel that risk.

Top contributors

More