Pressure of a burgeoning human population adversely affecting the biodiversity of our planet and destruction of wildlife and forests is causing the emergence of new viruses that would become potentially fatal for the human population in the near future. Study of the global databases and analysis of patterns of emerging diseases using the latest computer models has pointed at the tropics as the hotbed of future pandemics. Scientists from the Consortium for the Conservation Medicine at Wildlife Trust, New York, the Institute of Zoology, London, Columbia University, New York and the University of Georgia, Athens for the first time have been able to plot, map and predict the next location for the occurrence of a future pandemic.
The ‘Emerging Disease Hotspots’ map based on analysis of 335 incidents of previous disease emergence spots, global patterns in human density, population changes, latitude, rainfall and wildlife biodiversity changes shows the locations of probable proliferation of future major diseases like HIV and SARS. The Hotspots map shows the tropics as the new important location for emergence of zoonotic diseases.
Zoonosis is a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. A number of common diseases in humans is said to have originated from other animal species. There is good evidence to support that measles, smallpox, influenza and diphtheria were transmitted from animals to humans. HIV, common cold and tuberculosis may have spread in this way. The rise in incidents of avian flu, SARS in Asian countries is attributed to increased contacts between humans and wildlife. The modern day zoonoses pathogens are of particular interest to the scientist community as they were often previously unrecognized diseases or have increased virulence in populations lacking immunity.
Source: Biology News
Image: Biopatent
