Conservation and disease prevention go hand in hand

a substantial risk of wildlife zoonotic and vector-borne EIDs originating at lower latitudes where reporting effort is low.

global resources to counter disease emergence are poorly allocated, with the majority of the scientific and surveillance effort focused on countries from where the next important EID is least likely to originate.

The research pinpoints humans coming into overly close proximity with wildlife, through the development of settlements in previously inaccessible areas, as a key factor in disease emergence.

Dr Kate Jones, ZSL Research Fellow, lead author of the paper, commented: “Our analysis highlights the critical importance of conservation work. Conserving areas rich in biodiversity from development may be an important means of preventing the emergence of new diseases.”