Increased transmission of disease from animals to humans?
Emerging thousands of years ago, zoonoses – diseases transmitted from animals to humans – have proliferated in the last 20 to 30 years.
The development of international travel allowed its spread more quickly. By occupying ever larger areas of the planet, humans are also contributing to ecosystem disruption and increasing the likelihood of random viral mutations that could spread to humans, experts say.
1.7 million unknown viruses in mammals and birds
Industrial agriculture increases the risk of spreading pathogens between animals, while deforestation increases contact between wildlife, domestic animals and humans. By mixing more, species will transmit more viruses, thus encouraging the emergence of new diseases that have the potential to spread to humans.
Climate change will drive many animals to leave their ecosystems for more habitable land, a study published by a scientific journal warns Natural in 2022.
According to estimates published in the journal Science in 2018, there were 1.7 million unknown viruses in mammals and birds, and 540,000 to 850,000 of them were capable of infecting humans.
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