Assessing the risk of human-to-wildlife pathogen transmission for conservation and public health.

ABSTRACT: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to increased concern over transmission of pathogens from humans to animals, and its potential to threaten conservation and public health. To assess this threat, we reviewed published evidence of human-to-wildlife transmission events, with a focus on how such events could threaten animal and human health. We identified 97 verified examples, involving a wide range of pathogens; however, reported hosts were mostly non-human primates or large, long-lived captive animals. Relatively few documented examples resulted in morbidity and mortality, and very few led to maintenance of a human pathogen in a new reservoir or subsequent "secondary spillover" back into humans. We discuss limitations in the literature surrounding these phenomena, including strong evidence of

SUBMITTER: Fagre AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9313783 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature