The Need to Prioritize Prevention of Viral Spillover in the Anthropopandemicene: A Message to Global Health Researchers and Policymakers

Yusuf Amuda Tajudeen, Habeebullah Jayeola Oladipo, Rashidat Onyinoyi Yusuf, Iyiola Olatunji Oladunjoye, Aminat Olaitan Adebayo, Abdulhakeem Funsho Ahmed and Mona Said El-Sherbini
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Yusuf Amuda Tajudeen: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515, Ilorin 240003, Nigeria
Habeebullah Jayeola Oladipo: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515, Ilorin 240003, Nigeria
Rashidat Onyinoyi Yusuf: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515, Ilorin 240003, Nigeria
Iyiola Olatunji Oladunjoye: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515, Ilorin 240003, Nigeria
Aminat Olaitan Adebayo: Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, P.O Box 22133, Ibadan 200005, Nigeria
Abdulhakeem Funsho Ahmed: Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, Al-Hikmah University, P.M.B. 1601, Ilorin 240281, Nigeria
Mona Said El-Sherbini: Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt

Challenges, 2022, vol. 13, issue 2, 1-9

Abstract: Increased anthropogenic activities including changes in land use and unrelenting ecosystem services related to animal husbandry, wildlife trade, and deforestation are driving the emergence of viral zoonosis. This is primarily due to human–animal interaction which is facilitating the spillover of viral zoonotic pathogens from animals (domestic and wildlife) to humans that could result in epidemics or pandemics. Scientific reports so far have revealed that viral epidemics and pandemics in recent years such as H1N1 Swine Influenza, H5N1 Avian Influenza, Ebola, Zika, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 were all zoonotic, and their emergence has been linked with spillover events arising from human–animal interaction. This increased interaction and the increased spillover event could facilitate future pandemic risk, and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, “IPBES”, has declared this “the era of pandemics”. Furthermore, since future pandemics would be triggered by anthropogenic activities, we have called this “ anthropopandemicene ”, i.e., an era of pandemics driven by anthropogenic activities. To minimize the risk of future pandemics, it is important to prioritize the prevention of viral spillover events. Here, we outline five priority areas for global health researchers and policymakers. These areas include improvement of biosecurity at livestock farms, imposing a moratorium or strictly banning wildlife trade that poses a public health risk, conservation of biodiversity by halting deforestation, investing in community-based research for infectious disease control, and strengthening community healthcare systems in precarious ecosystems and infectious diseases hotspots. Finally, we acknowledge the efforts of other renowned global and legally binding frameworks such as IHR, the Paris Agreement, and CITES with regard to addressing the public health risk of infectious diseases, and we provide recommendations for their improvement.

Keywords: spillover; zoonosis; anthropopandemicene; ecosystem health; human health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A00 C00 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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