Human behavior strategies to mitigate zoonotic spillover risk

EcoHealth Alliance
Publicado: 19 Octubre 2022
Última edición: 19 Octubre 2022
remove_red_eye 288 Vistas

Summary

Human-animal contact has been implicated as a primary driver for the emergence of several high-impact zoonotic diseases. However, existing surveillance and risk mitigation measures have a limited focus on human behaviors, and the links between animal contact behaviors and zoonotic spillover risk are poorly understood. This leaves many spillover events insufficiently detected or characterized and presents a challenge in developing risk mitigation strategies for preventing pandemics. Multiple-year research in Southern China used qualitative and quantitative methods and integrated behavioral and biological data. One finding was that some communities live proximal to wild animal populations but have low knowledge and perceived risk regarding disease emergence from animal–human interactions. The research has helped characterize at-risk human-animal contacts, identify determinants of at-risk behaviors, and develop evidence- and context-based behavioral change strategies for risk mitigation among local communities.

Classifications

Region
Asia del Este
Scale of implementation
Local
Ecosystem
Agro-ecosistema
Buildings and facilities
Campos de cultivo
Ecosistema urbano
Theme
Ciencia y investigación
One Health
Salud y bienestar humano
Species Conservation and One Health Interventions
Comunicación de riesgos, participación de la comunidad y cambio de comportamiento
Evaluación de riesgos
One Health
Enfermedades tropicales desatendidas, enfermedades infecciosas emergentes, enfermedades no transmisibles, zoonosis y resistencia a los antimicrobianos
Challenges
Pérdida de ecosistemas
Health

Ubicación

People's Republic of China

Impacts

These studies showcase the application of different behavioral research methods in developing zoonotic risk mitigation strategies. The qualitative and quantitative research integrating behavior and serology surveys characterized the relationship between zoonotic risk and human behavior, providing serological evidence of zoonotic spillover events and highlighting the associations between human-animal contact behaviors and zoonotic spillover risk. Using behavioral theoretical frameworks, the targeted behavioral surveys and assessment translated evidence into risk mitigation measures and practices tailored to different populations. Although further studies are ongoing to assess the effectiveness of identified risk-mitigation measures, the current results demonstrate the value of human behavior research at human-animal interfaces in understanding and addressing the driving factors of zoonotic spillover and can provide a reference in future studies to assess the efficacy of interventions.

Contribuido por

Imagen de li_41892

Hongying Li EcoHealth Alliance