The link between ecosystem health and future pandemic risk: An awakening facet

Abstract

Health threats at the human-animal interface have risen like never before. Most of these disease outbreaks are zoonotic i.e. transmitted from animals to humans. Human-induced alteration of an ecosystem at the global level leading to biodiversity loss and perturbation to wildlife population are synergistically responsible for the emerging infectious diseases. Environmental degradation caused by anthropogenic activities has intensified such zoonotic disease emergence over the past decades. An intact ecosystem helps in regulating the transmission of such diseases. Unfortunately, the inextricable link between ecosystem health and disease outbreaks is poorly understood. In concern to minimize the future pandemic risk, this article argues the role of anthropogenic ecological changes posing emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases scaling to a pandemic stage.