The Ecology of Disease

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The Ecology of Disease Understand the Ecology of Disease:- Human health is linked to animal health and planetary health (BBC, posted and accessed 8 April 2020) Destroying nature unleashes infectious diseases (The New York Times, posted 14 July 2012, accessed 14 April 2020) Degraded environments and pollution make us more likely to encounter novel viruses and to be more vulnerable to those viruses when they start to circulate. (Dr Karen O'Neill, Rutgers University, cited at BBC, posted and accessed 22 April 2020) The current approach to disease outbreaks is trying to contain them and develop treatments or vaccines, which the scientists say is a “slow and uncertain path”. Instead the root causes must be tackled, including stopping the demolition of forests to produce meat, palm oil, metals and other commodities for richer countries. (The Guardian, posted and accessed 29 October 2020) Warming temperatures [due to the CEE] do not only threaten lives directly. They also cause billions of hours of lost labor, enhance conditions for the spread of infectious diseases and reduce crop yields. (Scientific American, 29 June 2021 tweet; full article here) Nature knows best. Humankind has fashioned technology to improve upon nature, but such change in a natural system is likely to be detrimental to that system. This is Barry Commoner's 3rd Law of Ecology. Example: manmade mirror life is likely to cause unstoppable lethal infections throughout nature. Coming soon... Scientists say that our destructive relationship with nature is putting us at greater risk of pandemic diseases (see ‘Extinction: The Facts’, BBC documentary with David Attenborough, 2020, ±34m35s):- Wildlife markets are unprecedented in scale. Animal-to-human contact is vastly increased. Many of these trapped/caged animals are highly stressed, which means they shed their viruses at higher rates (through their excretions). Viruses can pass to us so more easily. We are encroaching further and further into wildlife habitat. 31% of all emerging diseases have originated through the process of land use change. Our consumption of beef and poultry and the associated feeds they need drive the pandemics. Also, not all animals pass on viruses. It’s more likely to be small animals (rats/mice/bats), but with habitat loss, the animals that prey on these smaller animals are not there to keep them in check. Scientists estimate if we continue exploiting nature in these ways, we will see five new emerging diseases every year. We are heavily exploiting - and thus destroying - Nature. For 'civilised' life, 'fun', medical research and greedy profit. And so we are effectively self-harming. Ourselves and our descendants. Coronavirus is but the start. Worse disease and ecological breakdown is to come unless we start cooperating with Nature... The house is on fire and we are all locked in, because of a disease that came from our mismanagement of nature. (Inger Anderson, head of the UN Environment Programme, cited at BBC, posted 30 September 2020, accessed 1 October 2020) So, stop blaming China for Covid-19 (e.g. Trump). Stop blaming its deliberate release by a satanic elite (e.g. QAnon). The capitalist system in its ignorance and greed is to blame. The billionaire elite and corporations of the Rich World need to be removed from power. Although capitalism did not deliberately create coronavirus, it was a direct consequence of its inhuman policy. Similarly it has created the current Climate and Ecological Emergency. The climate crisis is not a human-induced disaster. It's an economic crime scene. (Julia Steinberger, Professor in Social Ecology & Ecological Economics, 25 September 2020 tweet) These crises - health, environmental - can be largely averted by creating a just and sustainable money and political system. We need to care for Nature and in doing so we truly care for us and our children:- Everything we do should be predicated on keeping nature intact. Otherwise, if you’re destroying nature to make money or to provide even things that are important, in the end you’re going to have a bigger bill to pay than if you kept nature healthy and functioning and robust. (Jim Robbins, 23m18s, posted 2 April 2020, accessed 14 April 2020) If we fail to understand and take care of the natural world, it can cause a breakdown of these systems and come back to haunt us in ways we know little about. A critical example is a developing model of infectious disease that shows that most epidemics — AIDS, Ebola, West Nile, SARS, Lyme disease and hundreds more that have occurred over the last several decades — don’t just happen. They are a result of things people do to nature. Disease, it turns out, is largely an environmental issue. Sixty percent of emerging infectious diseases that affect humans are zoonotic — they originate in animals. And more than two-thirds of those originate in wildlife. Teams of veterinarians and conservation biologists are in the midst of a global effort with medical doctors and epidemiologists to understand the “ecology of disease.” (Jim Robbins, The New York Times, posted 14 July 2012, accessed 14 April 2020) Conclusion For me, the deep story is that if the capitalist, greedy, corporate, nature-exploiting system did not rule Earth (see here), then pandemics would be so much less likely = far less deaths from pandemics + manmade climate change + loss of biodiversity and food supply collapse = the complicated situation from pandemic lockdowns may never arise. Or as Ricardo Rocha (University of Porto, Portugal, cited at BBC, posted and accessed 13 October 2020) puts it more politely: "If there is a big take-home message from this unfortunate moment in history [coronavirus] it's that making nature ill, makes us ill." Pandemics also require so much plastic PPE and this has only further polluted Nature. Less pandemics means less plastic pollution = cleaner Nature = healthier humans! Instead of Covid-19's "Space - Face - Hands" (i.e. distancing, masks, handwashing), if we truly want to save lives long-term, the message is simply "Save Nature". In other words, the real story is: ‘Change the (fucked-up) system and save far more lives, both animal and human’. Further Quotes Pandemics are not a question of fearful and anxious reaction, but rather all about wise prevention. By preserving biodiversity and honouring Nature, we prevent pandemics. Since 1994, there have been seven diseases caused by our severe abuse of nature. Covid-19 has been the first global pandemic. Unless we want more, put Nature first! (Inspired by Extinction Rebellion Madrid, 5 November 2020 tweet) 'Turning wild spaces into farmland and cities has created more opportunities for animal diseases to cross into humans, scientists have warned. Our transformation of the natural landscape drives out many wild animals, but favours species more likely to carry diseases, a study suggests. The work adds to growing evidence that exploitation of nature fuels pandemics. Scientists estimate that three out of every four new emerging infectious diseases come from animals... When humans modify habitats, more unique species are consistently lost and are replaced by species that are found everywhere, such as pigeons in cities and rats in farmland. These survivors appear to be the ones that host the highest number of diseases. They include certain rodents, bats and birds.' (BBC, posted 5 August 2020, accessed 8 August 2020) 'The world is in an “era of pandemics” and unless the destruction of the natural world is halted they will emerge more often, spread more rapidly, kill more people and affect the global economy with more devastating impact than ever before, according to a report from some of the world’s leading scientists. The emergence of diseases such as Covid-19, bird flu and HIV from animals was entirely driven by the razing of wild places for farming and the trade in wild species, which brought people into contact with the dangerous microbes, the experts said. “The risk of pandemics is increasing rapidly, with more than five new diseases emerging in people every year, any one of which has the potential to become pandemic,” the report says. It estimates there are more than 500,000 unknown viruses in mammals and birds that could infect humans. The current approach to disease outbreaks is trying to contain them and develop treatments or vaccines, which the scientists say is a “slow and uncertain path”. Instead the root causes must be tackled, including stopping the demolition of forests to produce meat, palm oil, metals and other commodities for richer countries.' (The Guardian, posted and accessed 29 October 2020) New coalition calls on governments to tackle root cause of emerging infections – the destruction of nature... Global spending to date in response to Covid-19 is believed to exceed $20tn (£14.45tn) but a study from July estimated spending just $27bn a year would substantially reduce the risks of another pandemic on the scale of the coronavirus outbreak. (The Guardian, posted and accessed 9 March 2021) This point is backed by Professor James Wood, of Cambridge University. “I think there is very strong evidence for this [Covid-19] being caused by natural spillovers but that argument simply does not suit some political groups. They promote the idea that Covid-19 was caused by a lab leak because such a claim deflects attention from increasing evidence that indicates biodiversity loss, deforestation and wildlife trade – which increase the dangers of natural spillovers – are the real dangers that we face from pandemics.” In other words, fiddling with viruses in laboratories is not the dangerous activity. The real threat comes from the wildlife trade, bulldozing rainforests and clearing wildernesses to provide land for farms and to gain access to mines. As vegetation and wildlife are destroyed, countless species of viruses and the bacteria they host are set loose to seek new hosts, such as humans and domestic livestock. This has happened with HIV, Sars and very probably Covid-19. And that, for many scientists, is the real lesson of Covid-19. (Robin McKie, The Guardian, posted and accessed 22 August 2021) Even if we fight Covid into normality, scientists agree there will be another pandemic, and more likely sooner than later. To stop that we must learn to spot and contain worrying outbreaks. To do this we must see through yet another misleading story: an “outbreak narrative” that portrays pandemics as primarily a sudden and unexpected battle between microbe and hero scientists seeking the cure. This cuts out the long backstory of deforestation, wildlife trade or risky farming that makes it more likely germs will jump from animals to us in the first place. These are causes we could address for a fraction of the cost the diseases spawned that way already cost us. (Debora MacKenzie, The Guardian, posted and accessed 23 March 2022) Eating less meat is one of the most meaningful changes people can make to curb greenhouse gas emissions, help reduce deforestation and even decrease the risk of pandemic-causing diseases passing from animals to humans, according to the IPCC report. (The Guardian, posted and accessed 4 June 2022) There are more than a million viruses circulating in the animal kingdom, and it would be a fool’s errand to try to stop that circulation. But we can limit the chances these have to jump into the human population, and limit their circulation in domestic animals. This requires taking the animal-human interface seriously, and knowing that while it’s a major economic, animal welfare and farming problem now, the situation becoming even worse is just a mutation away. (Prof Devi Sridhar, The Guardian, posted and accessed 9 November 2022) Resources Disease warning on climate change (BBC, 2008). The Ecology of Disease (Jim Robbins, The New York Times, 2012). Study revives bird origin for 1918 flu pandemic (Nature, 2014) [Probably sprang from North American domestic and wild birds, not from the mixing of human and swine viruses. Model also links avian influenza strains to deadly horse flu.]. Climate Change Is Having a Major Impact on Global Health (Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 2019) [Warming temperatures are exposing more people to heat waves and increasing the risk of disease spread]. Coronavirus: Exploiting nature 'drives outbreaks of new diseases' (BBC, 2020). Educational Series: Cruel Wet Markets Have Devastated Wildlife and Caused the COVID-19 Pandemic (Animal Petitions, 2020). New evidence of virus risks from wildlife trade (BBC, 2020). Cost of preventing next pandemic 'equal to just 2% of Covid-19 economic damage' (The Guardian, 2020). Coronavirus: Vietnam bans wildlife trade over pandemic risk (BBC, 2020). City growth favours animals 'more likely to carry disease' (BBC, 2020). Deadly diseases from wildlife thrive when nature is destroyed, study finds (The Guardian, 2020). Protecting nature is vital to escape 'era of pandemics’ – report (The Guardian, 2020). How Climate Change Is Ushering in a New Pandemic Era (Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 2020) [Estimated 1.7 million undiscovered viruses are thought to exist in mammal and avian hosts; of these, more than 800,000 could have the ability to infect humans; but it's how humans interact with nature that's most critical]. Jane Goodall says humanity's 'disrespect of the natural world' brought on the pandemic (Rachael Rettner, Live Science, 2021) [The legendary primatologist urged people to develop a new, more sustainable relationship with the natural world]. World leaders ‘ignoring’ role of destruction of nature in causing pandemics (The Guardian, 2021) [The root cause of pandemics – the destruction of nature – is being ignored, scientists have warned. Ending the destruction of nature to stop outbreaks at source is more effective and cheaper than responding to them, scientists say.]. ‘There are viruses just waiting in the wings’: how do we stop the next pandemic? (The Guardian, 2021) [Climate change, habitat destruction and economic and technological advances all hasten the spread of viruses. Understanding the connection between humans, animals and the environment is key to planning for future pandemics, experts warn.]. Factory farms of disease: how industrial chicken production is breeding the next pandemic (John Vidal, The Guardian, 2021) [At least eight types of bird flu, all of which can kill humans, are circulating around the world’s factory farms – and they could be worse than Covid-19. Stop blaming wild birds!]. As Covid recedes in US a new worry emerges: wildlife passing on the virus (Melody Schreiber, The Guardian, 2021) [New study shows that deer can catch the virus from people and give it to other deer in overwhelming numbers]. It's Time to Fear the Fungi (Rose Eveleth, Wired, 2021) [Humans have long been protected from fungal infections, thanks to our nice, warm blood. Climate change could ruin that, as the fungi adapt to warmer temperatures, then invade us. But remember that what we really need to fear is human ignorance/greed/evil, as it created the CEE. Fungi are actually so good for Life - see here, here, here.]. Failure to prevent pandemics at source is ‘greatest folly’, say scientists (The Guardian, 2022) [Protecting wildlife to stop viruses jumping to humans would save far more than it costs. But it offers no profit for corporations, no immediate metrics for public health nor government. It details three key actions: global surveillance of wildlife viruses, better control of wildlife hunting and trade, stopping deforestation. The cost-benefit analysis did not even include: the damage caused by family deaths, lost jobs, delayed medical treatments, lost education, viral outbreaks in livestock/crops. Prevention is better than cure.]. The Nightmare of Microplastics (Jim Baird, Twitter thread, 2022; also here). Can microplastics facilitate the emergence of infectious diseases? (Claire Loiseau & Gabriele Sorci, Science of the Total Environment, Volume 823, 1 June 2022). Pigs can pass deadly superbugs to people, study reveals (The Guardian, 2022) [Antibiotic resistance is growing as a result of overuse on farm stock]. ‘Potentially devastating’: Climate crisis may fuel future pandemics (The Guardian, 2022) [‘Zoonotic spillovers’ expected to rise with at least 15,000 instances of viruses leaping between species over next 50 years. Coming decades will not only be hotter, but also sicker. Too late to be preventable.]. We Created the ‘Pandemicene’ (Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 2022) [By completely rewiring the network of animal viruses, climate change is creating a new age of infectious dangers. Species that have never coexisted will become neighbors, creating thousands of infectious meet-cutes in which viruses can spill over into unfamiliar hosts—and, eventually, into us.]. Expert's dire warning after strains of 'superpower' bacteria unearthed (Yahoo, 2022) [From Antactica, they may cause the world's next deadly pandemic. Climate change means they will have the potential to spread beyond polar regions.]. Climate impacts have worsened vast range of human diseases (The Guardian, 2022) ["We are opening a Pandora’s Box of disease"]. Weatherwatch: climate crisis causing tropical viruses to spread (The Guardian, 2022) [e.g. mosquito-borne dengue fever to Europe]. Bird flu ‘an urgent warning to move away from factory farming’ (The Guardian, 2022) [Deadly spillovers of disease between livestock and wildlife increasing with intensive methods. Stop intensive livestock farming. Move to plant-based proteins!]. Next pandemic may come from melting glaciers, new data shows (The Guardian, 2022) [Analysis of Arctic lake suggests viruses and bacteria locked in ice could reawaken and infect wildlife. Also, as the Earth warms, wildlife is moving closer to the poles.]. Scientists rush to create vaccine for world’s biggest animal disease outbreak (The Guardian, 2022) [African swine fever. How about Precision Fermentation, not pigs?]. Climate crisis poses ‘growing threat’ to health in UK, says expert (The Guardian, 2022) [Dangers are food security, flooding, insect-borne diseases]. Bird flu is a huge problem now – but we’re just one mutation away from it getting much worse (Prof Devi Sridhar, The Guardian, 2022) [If the H5N1 virus jumps into humans and more dangerous strains emerge, it could set off a new pandemic]. To Avoid Another Pandemic, We Need to Eat Less Meat (Jack McGovan, Novara Media, 2022) [Intensive animal farming is breeding deadly diseases]. Why we should value scavengers (Isabelle Gerretsen, BBC Future, 2022) [Scavengers - like vultures, hyenas and beetles - play a vital role in protecting humans and animals from diseases]. Pollination loss removes healthy foods from global diets, increases chronic diseases causing excess deaths (Harvard University, 2022). ‘Pandemic potential’: bird flu outbreaks fuelling chance of human spillover (The Guardian, 2023) [Experts say record waves of avian influenza have been setting off alarms, with fears virus could adapt to spread among people]. Bird flu 'spills over' to otters and foxes in UK (BBC, 2023). Plant Fungus Infects Human in First Reported Case of Its Kind (ScienceAlert, 2023). Another deadly pandemic seems inevitable – but there is a way to avoid it (John Vidal, The Guardian, 2023) [PWP says: I agree in principle, but so much is baked in already (committed warming), which means avoiding future pandemics for millennia is delusional. Anyway, humans may be extinct before all this. But let's try anyway.]. ‘Paying in lives’: health of billions at risk from global heating, warns report (The Guardian, 2023). At risk: 10 ways the changing climate is creating a health emergency (Joan van Dyk, The Guardian, 2023). Arctic zombie viruses in Siberia could spark terrifying new pandemic, scientists warn (The Guardian, 2024). Sick, hot world: Climate change favors disease vectors, threatening to unleash more pandemics (Matthew Rozsa, Salon, 2024). Risk of bird flu spreading to humans is ‘enormous concern’, says WHO (The Guardian, 2024) [‘Extraordinarily high’ mortality rate in humans]. ‘Unprecedented risk’ to life on Earth: Scientists call for halt on ‘mirror life’ microbe research (The Guardian, 2024) [Mirror bacteria, constructed from mirror images of molecules found in nature, could put humans, animals and plants at risk of lethal infections. Immune system responses would be evaded. Lethal infections would spread without check. Coming soon...]. Age of the panzootic: scientists warn of more devastating diseases jumping between species (The Guardian, 2025) [Due to human activities. Expect more cross-species outbreaks like bird flu. Expect another pandemic.]. Rise in dengue fever outbreaks across the Pacific driven by the climate crisis, experts say (The Guardian, 2025). ‘When the forests burn, the sickness comes’: how protecting trees shields millions from disease (The Guardian, 2025) [Preserving the Amazonian rainforest keeps communities safe from the health risks of wildfires and from diseases spread when deforestation brings humans into closer contact with animals and insects]. Disease X: Hunting the Next Pandemic review – an hour of pure terror (Lucy Mangan, The Guardian, 2025). Crowded camps, stagnant water and not enough doctors: first the floods, now disease stalks millions in Pakistan (Haroon Janjua, The Guardian, 2025) [As the waters recede, a surge in cases of cholera, diarrhoea, malaria and dengue has compounded the misery of people who have already seen their homes and crops disappear]. How a radical experiment to bring a forest into a preschool transformed children’s health (The Guardian, 2025) [Our health is intimately linked to our surroundings, and to the ecological health of the world around us].

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