Wildlife Viruses: Impact on Human and Animal Health

Sarker, Subir

Abstract

[Extract] In recent years, there has been a significant rise in the appearance of new viral infectious diseases among wildlife populations globally [ 1– 11 ]. This trend presents an increasing threat to wildlife and contributes to the major diseases affecting human health [9 ]. Many of these emerging viral pathogens—including Ebola and Marburg viruses, human immunodeficiency viruses, Nipah virus, Sin Nombre virus, Hendra and Menangle viruses, West Nile virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and various subtypes of avian influenza—originate in wildlife and spill over into human hosts due to ecological, demographic, and socioeconomic changes [10 ]. The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a recent example that underscores the serious threat these viruses pose to both human populations and a wide range of wild animals, from amphibians to mammals [ 8]. Factors like habitat destruction, pollution, and international trade heighten the risk of viruses spreading to new hosts and causing disease.

Journal

Viruses

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1999-4915

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MDPI

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DOI

10.3390/v16081244