Biodiversity Loss Can Increase Infectious Diseases in Humans

[Staff]

Biodiversity Loss Can Increase Infectious Diseases in Humans
ScienceDaily
Dec. 6, 2009

Biodiversity loss can increase infectious diseases in humans
excerpts from above:

The extinction of plant and animal species can be likened to emptying a museum of its collection, or dumping a cabinet full of potential medicines into the trash, or replacing every local cuisine with McDonald's burgers.

"Habitat destruction and biodiversity loss," -- driven by the replacement of local species by exotic ones, deforestation, global transportation, encroaching cities, and other environmental changes -- "can increase the incidence and distribution of infectious diseases in humans," write University of Vermont biologist Joe Roman, EPA scientist Montira Pongsiri, and seven co-authors in BioScience.