Wildlife Zoonoses

Forests are host to a highly diverse wildlife population with pathogens in a state of endemic equilibrium, which evolved and are maintained through natural ecological processes and homogeneity. A complex mixture of niches is naturally available in each landscape and habitat to support animals, insects and microscopic parasites. Diversity in the wild host population promotes a broad pool of pathogens and a source. Low diversity in the domestic animal host promotes the expansion of the pathogen after spillover. Disruption of the state of equilibrium causes the ‘spillover’ and emergence of zoonoses. Biodiversity and opportunities for contact are key to the transmission and emergence of diseases. Transferring from this huge store of insects and microbes in the natural habitat is possible. Nearly 72% of zoonoses originated in wildlife, including emerging and re-emerging ones. Zoonoses at the livestock-wildlife interface seriously threaten global health security and endangered wildlife species.