Abstract
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. This publication was made possible through support provided to the Global Livestock Collaborative Research Support Program by the Office of Agriculture, Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade, United States Agency for International Development under terms of Grant No. PCE-G-00-98-00036-00. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USAID. The funders played no role in the decision to submit the article or in its preparation. Provenance: Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
Highlights
Nowhere in the world are these health impacts more important than in developing countries, where daily workloads are highly dependent on the availability of natural resources [6,7]
Water resources are perhaps most crucial, as humans and animals depend on safe water for health and survival, and sources of clean water
Water scarcity means that people and animals use the same water sources for drinking and bathing, which results in serious contamination of drinking water and increased risk of zoonotic diseases
Summary
Every day thousands of children and adults die from underdiagnosed diseases that have arisen at the human–animal– environment interface, especially diarrheal and respiratory diseases in developing countries [1,2]. Explosive human population growth and environmental changes have resulted in increased numbers of people living in close contact with wild and domestic animals. This increased contact together with changes in land use, including livestock grazing and crop production, have altered the inherent ecological balance between pathogens and their human and animal hosts. Zoonotic pathogens, such as influenza and SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), account for the majority of emerging infectious diseases in people [3], and more than three-quarters of emerging zoonoses are the result of wildlife-origin pathogens [4]. While zoonoses represent a significant emerging threat to public health, many of these diseases, such as diarrheal diseases arising from poor water sanitation, are neglected by funding agencies [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
