Giulia Wegner, University of Oxford et Kris Murray, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
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.
The metaphors used to characterize monkeypox can contribute to narratives that help sustain racist, colonial, homophobic and other discriminatory attitudes and beliefs.
Amy Wilson, University of British Columbia et Scott Wilson, University of British Columbia
Allowing cats to roam unsupervised is detrimental to humans, wildlife and the cats themselves. Managing free-roaming cats should consider the risks they pose to other species.
A deadly neurological infection, chronic wasting disease, has been detected in deer, elk and moose in 30 states and four Canadian provinces. Human risk is low, but hunters need to take precautions.
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.
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.
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.
The delay in finding definitive answers to how novel infectious diseases come about is not unusual. Look at what happened to our search for Ebola virus.
COVID-19 has been found in wild, captive and domesticated animals. To understand and combat the disease, a One Health approach that considers human, animal and environmental factors is essential.
Social media platforms have enabled wildlife traders to connect as never before. Some operate legally, within the boundaries of international laws. Others are less scrupulous.
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.
Cave-specific conservation and protection actions are essential to protect cave habitats for the continued survival of bats, and ultimately, the well-being of humans.
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.
Scientists get up close and personal with deadly pathogens to give doctors the tools they need to treat people sickened by germs. The key is keeping the researchers – and everyone around them – safe.