An ecoHealth approach : prediction and prevention of emerging infectious diseases from wildlife : final technical report

Abstract

Approximately 20% of novel emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) and 50% of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases have been attributed to land-use change. It is a clear threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem services and a key driver of EIDs. The project investigates the mechanisms underlying disease emergence by assessing the impacts of land-use change, measured as forest fragmentation, on viral diversity and bat host assemblages. The University of São Paulo (USP) research team and New York-based EcoHealth Alliance have used active surveillance of bat and domestic animal populations to detect pathogens that cause emerging and established zoonotic diseases.