WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - According to a recent study published in the journal Nature, biodiversity loss has emerged as the primary environmental factor driving the outbreak of infectious diseases, leading to an increase in their risk and scope.
The study conducted a meta-analysis of 972 research papers and 2,938 observations to identify the leading contributors to escalating outbreak risks, focusing on 1,497 host-parasite relationships across human, plant, and animal hosts.
The research examined five key global change drivers, namely, biodiversity loss, climate change, non-native species, chemical pollution, and habitat loss. The findings indicate that all factors except habitat loss contribute to disease spread, affecting both human and non-human diseases. The research identified biodiversity loss as the leading contributor to the escalating outbreak risk, followed by climate change and the introduction of non-native species.
The study emphasized the importance of biodiversity preservation in mitigating the increasing risk of disease outbreaks. The dilution effect theory suggests that declining biodiversity can lead to a higher prevalence of disease-transmitting species, thereby elevating the risk of disease spread. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the growing interest in zoonotic diseases and their wildlife origins, underscoring the need for emission reduction, biodiversity preservation, and invasive species prevention to enhance global disease control, mitigation, and surveillance efforts.
The study also highlighted the impact of urbanization on disease spread, with urban areas showing a smaller number of species that can thrive in the environment. Greater sanitation and health infrastructure in urban areas also help to contain disease spread.
The lead researcher, Professor Jason Rohr from the University of Notre Dame in the US, emphasized the need to advocate for policies that promote emission reduction, biodiversity preservation, and invasive species prevention to alleviate the impact of diseases and enhance global disease control efforts.
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