We review the literature to distinguish reports of vertebrate wildlife disease emergence with sufficient evidence, enabling a robust assessment of emergence drivers. For potentially emerging agents that cannot be confirmed, sufficient data on prior absence (or a prior difference in disease dynamics) are frequently lacking. Improved surveillance, particularly for neglected host taxa, geographical regions and infectious agents, would enable more effective management should emergence occur. Exposure to domestic sources of infection and human-assisted exposure to wild sources were identified as the two main drivers of emergence across host taxa; the domestic source was primary for fish while the wild source was primary for other taxa. There was generally insufficient evidence for major roles of other hypothesized drivers of emergence.
Funding
National Science Foundation
History
Publication title
Trends in Parasitology
Volume
31
Issue
4
Pagination
149-159
ISSN
1471-4922
Department/School
School of Natural Sciences
Publisher
Elsevier Sci Ltd
Place of publication
The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, England, Oxon, Ox5 1Gb
Rights statement
Copyright 2015 Elsevier Ltd.
Repository Status
Restricted
Socio-economic Objectives
Disease distribution and transmission (incl. surveillance and response)