Increasing risks for emerging infectious diseases within a rapidly changing High Asia

Sammanfattning

The cold and arid mountains and plateaus of High Asia, inhabited by a relatively sparse human population, a high density of livestock, and wildlife such as the iconic snow leopard Panthera uncia, are usually considered low risk for disease outbreaks. However, based on current knowledge about drivers of disease emergence, we show that High Asia is rapidly developing conditions that favor increased emergence of infectious diseases and zoonoses. This is because of the existing prevalence of potentially serious pathogens in the system; intensifying environmental degradation; rapid changes in local ecological, socio-ecological, and socio-economic factors; and global risk intensifiers such as climate change and globalization. To better understand and manage the risks posed by diseases to humans, livestock, and wildlife, there is an urgent need for establishing a disease surveillance system and improving human and animal health care. Public health must be integrated with conservation programs, more ecologically sustainable development efforts and long-term disease surveillance.

Nyckelord

Mountains; One Health; Pandemics; Panthera uncia; Snow leopard; Zoonoses

Publicerad i

AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment
2022, volym: 51, nummer: 3, sidor: 494-507
Utgivare: SPRINGER

SLU författare

• Low, Matthew

  • Institutionen för ekologi, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

• Johansson, Örjan

  • Institutionen för ekologi, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

Globala målen (SDG)

SDG3 God hälsa och välbefinnande
SDG13 Bekämpa klimatförändringarna
SDG15 Ekosystem och biologisk mångfald

UKÄ forskningsämne

Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi
Miljövetenskap

Publikationens identifierare

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01599-7

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/112886