Impacts of biodiversity on the emergence and transmission of infectious diseases.
Current unprecedented declines in biodiversity reduce the ability of ecological communities to provide many fundamental ecosystem services. Here we evaluate evidence that reduced biodiversity affects the transmission of infectious diseases of humans, other animals and plants. In principle, loss of biodiversity could either increase or decrease disease transmission. However, mounting evidence indicates that biodiversity loss frequently increases disease transmission. In contrast, areas of naturally high biodiversity may serve as a source pool for new pathogens. Overall, despite many remaining questions, current evidence indicates that preserving intact ecosystems and their endemic biodiversity should generally reduce the prevalence of infectious diseases.
Department of Biology, Bard College, Annandale, New York 12504, USA.
Felicia
F
Keesing
Lisa K
LK
Belden
Peter
P
Daszak
Andrew
A
Dobson
C Drew
CD
Harvell
Robert D
RD
Holt
Peter
P
Hudson
Anna
A
Jolles
Kate E
KE
Jones
Charles E
CE
Mitchell
Samuel S
SS
Myers
Tiffany
T
Bogich
Richard S
RS
Ostfeld
D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D013045:Species Specificity; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission