title: Infectious diseases of animals and plants: an interdisciplinary approach.
abstract: Animal and plant diseases pose a serious and continuing threat to food security, food safety, national economies, biodiversity and the rural environment. New challenges, including climate change, regulatory developments, changes in the geographical concentration and size of livestock holdings, and increasing trade make this an appropriate time to assess the state of knowledge about the impact that diseases have and the ways in which they are managed and controlled. In this paper, the case is explored for an interdisciplinary approach to studying the management of infectious animal and plant diseases. Reframing the key issues through incorporating both social and natural science research can provide a holistic understanding of disease and increase the policy relevance and impact of research. Finally, in setting out the papers in this Theme Issue, a picture of current and future animal and plant disease threats is presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, UK. katy.wilkinson@hull.ac.uk
authors.forename: Katy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: Wyn P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Jeger
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: Graham F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Medley
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Phillipson
authors.forename: Guy M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Poppy
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waage
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000191:economics; D000818:Animals; D057231:Climate Change; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods*; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000662:veterinary*; D059022:Food Safety; D005523:Food Supply; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D038622:Internationality; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*