The Link Between Virus Spillover, Wildlife Extinction and the Environment
The Same Processes That Threaten Wildlife Increase Our Risk of Spillover
As COVID-19 spreads across the globe, a common question is, can infectious diseases be connected to environmental change? Yes, indicates a study published today from the University of California, Davis’ One Health Institute.
Exploitation of wildlife by humans through hunting, trade, habitat degradation and urbanization facilitates close contact between wildlife and humans, which increases the risk of virus spillover, found a study published April 8 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Many of these same activities also drive wildlife population declines and the risk of extinction.
The study provides new evidence for assessing spillover risk in animal species and highlights how the processes that create wildlife population declines also enable the transmission of animal viruses to humans.
Media Coverage: BBC, ABC News, CNN, Time Magazine, Newsweek, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Patch, Popular Science, Huffington Post, Australia's Science Channel