Healing with Risks: How Zoonotic Potential Influences the Use of Wild Mammals in Traditional Medicine.

ABSTRACT: Most infectious diseases affecting humans are zoonotic in origin, with mammals serving as the main reservoirs. Frequent interactions between humans and animals, especially in the context of their use for food, medicine, and other purposes, pose significant public health risks, as recently demonstrated by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In traditional medicine, many species-some of which are also used as food-are valued for their therapeutic versatility, that is, the diversity of medicinal uses attributed to each species. This study investigates the role of zoonotic potential in the selection of mammals used in traditional medicine at a global scale. We compiled data on 411 wild mammal species across 17 orders, identifying 5.146 associated pathogens, of which 2.778 (53.9%) also infect humans. Most

SUBMITTER: Pereira HM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12300465 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature