Paramedics bury a man who died of the Nipah virus in Kozhikode, southern India, in May 2018. There is no vaccine for the virus, which can cause raging fevers, convulsions and vomiting, and kills up to 75 per cent of people infected.
(AP Photo/K.Shijith)
As new viruses "jump" from wildlife to humans and we struggle with antimicrobial resistance and even climate change, a new interdisciplinary approach to human health might just save the day.
People and animals live side by side – and can have pathogens in common.
Nichola Hill
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.
A coyote cools off in the shade of a leafy suburb. Wildlife interactions with pets and humans can transfer disease, including the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis.
(Winston Wong/flickr)