Peter Alagona, University of California, Santa Barbara
The value that bats provide to humans by pollinating crops and eating insects is far greater than harm from virus transmission – which is mainly caused by human actions.
In the real world, new diseases emerge from complex environments. To learn more about how, scientists set up whole artificial ecosystems in the lab, instead of focusing on just one factor at a time.
The Trump administration has cut funding for infectious disease research and reduced high-level staffing for global health security, leaving the nation less prepared for major outbreaks.
China’s coronavirus outbreak is stoking fears that it could become the next great global pandemic. As the World Health Organization declares a global emergency, it’s also fanning a pandemic of fear.
A new coronavirus related to SARS and MERS has now traveled from China to the United States. A genetic analysis reveals that this deadly pathogen may have originated in snakes.
Rift Valley Fever infects millions of humans and livestock in Africa and Arabia. To fight it, scientists are developing a first of its kind vaccine that can be used on humans and animals.
Armadillos and humans are linked in the strangest of ways. Armadillos are the only other species known to get leprosy. A surge in cases in Brazil gives reason for concern there and in the US.
No one then knew a virus caused the 1918 flu pandemic, much less that animals can be a reservoir for human illnesses. Now virus ecology research and surveillance are key for public health efforts.
By tackling local threats and controlling existing diseases, countries are able to build the capacity needed to deal with future emerging disease threats.
A disease suspected to be monkeypox is on the rampage in Nigeria. In less than one month, it has spread to seven of the country’s 36 states and infected 31 people.