Origins of major human infectious diseases

Nathan D. Wolfe (), Claire Panosian Dunavan and Jared Diamond ()
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Nathan D. Wolfe: School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles 90095-1772, USA
Claire Panosian Dunavan: David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles 90095-1688, USA
Jared Diamond: University of California, Los Angeles 90095-1524, USA

Nature, 2007, vol. 447, issue 7142, 279-283

Abstract: The ascent of pathogens This week's Review Article tackles the question of the evolution of human pathogens. Analysis of what we know of the origins of 10 tropical and 15 temperate infectious diseases reveals that animals were the source of the majority of important human diseases in the recent past, and that direct contact with animals through activities such as hunting remains a major route for disease acquisition. Modern developments such as industrial food production, vaccine production and blood transfusion may be making us more vulnerable than ever to new pathogens. The authors argue that people with high exposure to wild animals, such as hunters, zoo workers and wildlife veterinarians, should be regularly screened for emergent pathogens.This would provide early warning of newly introduced disease, and supply a repository of tissue samples that would assist in reconstructing the origin of later outbreaks.

Date: 2007
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DOI: 10.1038/nature05775

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