![]() ![]() In 2012 alone, hantavirus (a Sars-like virus), E coli O157 and legionnaires' disease have hit the headlines – all originated in other animals. It seems that zoonoses are increasing, at least reports of them are. ![]() These are the infections that humans acquire from other animals the most notorious recent example is HIV/Aids, but they encompass a huge range of viruses, bacteria and parasites, including Ebola, some malarias and Q fever. ![]() We were lucky it wasn't particularly virulent.ĭavid Quammen's Spillover is a collection of stories about the sources of diseases called zoonoses. ![]() That's how "swine flu" spread in 2009 it was already unstoppable by the time we noticed it. These pathogens can spread around the world in hours by aeroplane to infect the unsuspecting on another continent. Our constant movement between vast, populous cities and novel environments makes us easy prey for opportunistic pathogens that replicate fast, and transmit by sneezes and dirty hands before sickness even begins to show. During this progress, humans have made many acquisitions, several of them unwanted. These characteristics have made us one of the most invasive species our planet has ever encountered and allowed us to colonise nearly every terrestrial environment. H uman beings are restless, nosey and aggressive. ![]()
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