A new report from researchers at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz) mapped 1,025 microorganisms in 345 mammal species in Brazil. Among them, 162 pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa, worms and fungi, which can be transmitted to humans, reinforce the importance of measures to protect biodiversity and prevent the “jump” of these pathogens in the country’s population.
The document is the largest wild animal health survey ever carried out in Brazil and is part of the Socioecological Networks research project, coordinated by the COI and funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) under the Center for Synthesis on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (SinBiose) program.
The findings highlight what is known as “One Health,” a concept that highlights the interconnectedness between environmental, animal and human health, and advocates an integrated approach to addressing emerging and re-emerging challenges, such as pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, climate change and other threats.
According to the World Organization for Animal Health (WHO), 60% of the pathogens that cause emerging diseases in humans today are zoonoses, that is, they come from animals. This is the case for HIV, swine flu, avian flu, Ebola, mpox and Covid-19 for example.
— The Covid-19 pandemic, caused by a virus initially detected in bats, has shown how ecological processes, environmental and anthropogenic changes can favor the transmission to humans of pathogens that exist in nature — explains Paulo D’Andréa, deputy director of the IOC Laboratory of Biology and Parasitology of Wild Mammal Reservoirs and one of the coordinators of the Socioecological Networks project.
The researcher emphasizes that it is essential to “know the parasites that circulate in wild animals, especially in Brazil, where we have the greatest diversity of mammals in the world and many environmental transformations”. It is in this context that the new report maps these pathogens and draws attention to the importance of measures that reduce the risk of them reaching the human population.
— Human activities such as deforestation, mining and the increasing occupation of forest areas lead to a loss of biodiversity and can promote the spread of infectious diseases. Data allows us to build models to predict risks and inform public policies — explains Cecilia de Andreazzi, researcher at the same laboratory, who is also research coordinator.
For example, the study highlighted that the loss of vegetation in remote areas rich in mammals is associated with an increase in animal-borne diseases. On the other hand, greater urban reforestation and vegetation cover reduce this risk.
“Species diversity decreases the chances of a single parasite spreading rapidly, making it more difficult to transmit between hosts. Therefore, conserving biodiversity is essential to maintain healthy ecosystems and naturally control the emergence and spread of diseases,” the researchers write in the report.
The document was prepared by 24 authors from 13 institutions. In addition to the COI, experts from Fiocruz Amazônia, Fiocruz Rondônia, the Ministry of Health (MS), the Acre State Health Department (Sesacre), the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), the Pan American Center for Foot and Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health (Panaftosa), the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB) and the University of Jerusalem, Israel, participated.
The data was obtained from scientific articles and consultations with the collections of the Unified Health System (SUS), the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the Brazilian Biodiversity Information System (SIBBr), ICMBio, IUCN, MapBiomas, the US Space Agency, NASA and others.
Although this is the largest dataset on wildlife health in Brazil, the researchers highlight a lack of information due to regional inequalities: most of the data comes from publications referring to the Southeast region. In addition, they warn that the issue has been left aside by public authorities.
According to officials, there is no specific legislation or body completely covering wild animal health in Brazil. Current public policies generally focus on protecting production herds or preventing outbreaks in humans, ignoring the wild component.
Last year, the government established the ‘One Health Inter-institutional Committee’, which was seen by researchers as a step towards changing this scenario. The objective of the group, coordinated by the Ministry of Health and with the participation of 20 organizations, is to develop a national policy on the subject.
In their recommendations, the authors of the report highlight the need to strengthen wildlife health surveillance; insert it into species conservation plans and environmental authorization processes; combat the trade and consumption of wild animals, through regulations, inspections and educational actions; and broaden the participation of society, particularly indigenous peoples and traditional communities, in formulating strategies for the sector.
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