Global shifts in mammalian population trends reveal key predictors of virus spillover risk
Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy · University of California, Davis · +1 more institution
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases in humans are frequently caused by pathogens originating from animal hosts, and zoonotic disease outbreaks present a major challenge to global health. To investigate drivers of virus spillover, we evaluated the number of viruses mammalian species have shared with humans. We discovered that the number of zoonotic viruses detected in mammalian species scales positively with global species abundance, suggesting that virus transmission risk has been highest from animal species that have increased in abundance and even expanded their range by adapting to human-dominated landscapes. Domesticated species, primates and bats were identified as having more zoonotic viruses than other…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 73.17
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 43
Authors
7- CKChristine K. JohnsonCorresponding
Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, University of California, Davis
- PLPeta L. Hitchens
The University of Melbourne
- PPPranav Pandit
Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, University of California, Davis
- JRJulie Rushmore
Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, University of California, Davis
- TSTierra Smiley Evans
Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, University of California, Davis
Topics & keywords
- Wildlife
- Biology
- Wildlife disease
- Population
- Domestication
- Outbreak
- Habitat
- Threatened species
- Life in Land