As more people move into wild habitats around the world, for farming, logging, mining or just somewhere to live, they can come in contact with viruses that circulate in wild animals, such as Ebola or coronaviruses. These new viruses could bring new pandemics. How does the human impact on the environment increase the risks of viruses spilling over? How can we protect the health of wild animals, people and ecosystems at the same time?
Joining us on UC Davis LIVE will be two University of California, Davis, experts who have been working on these issues.
The guests:
- Christine Kreuder Johnson is a professor of epidemiology and ecosystem health, associate director of the One Health Institute and director of the Epicenter for Disease Dynamics at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Her research focuses on how diseases can spill over from animals to humans, and then spread among people. She directed human and animal disease surveillance activities as part of the Emerging Pandemic Threats PREDICT program funded by USAID.
- Marcela Uhart is a wildlife veterinarian and director of the Latin America Program of the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center and One Health Institute at UC Davis. She is a co-author on an international report published last week on biodiversity loss and pandemics, with her contributions focusing on the trade in wildlife.