Global change is predicted to have tremendous implications for the emergence of infectious diseases. Now, Gibb, Redding et al. report that changes in land use (such as urbanization and agriculturalization) cause major changes in the diversity and taxonomic composition of reservoir hosts for pathogens, with implications for the emergence of zoonotic diseases. The authors analysed 6,801 sites and 376 host species worldwide and determined whether there was evidence of pathogens in these hosts and the potential for zoonotic transmission. As anthropogenic land use increased, so did the frequency of zoonotic hosts, and the intensity of land use correlated with increases in zoonotic host species and the number of individuals. Notably, the frequency of rodents, bats and passerine birds was higher in human-dominated sites, suggesting the need for enhanced surveillance efforts in these sites.
Source: Ecology - nature.com
