EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN WILDLIFE: ZOONOTIC RISKS, ECOLOGY AND CONTROL STRATEGIES

Abstract

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) originating from wildlife represent a growing global threat to public health, biodiversity, and ecosystem stability. The majority of recently emerging human pathogens are zoonotic, with wildlife acting as natural reservoirs. Anthropogenic pressures such as habitat destruction, climate change, wildlife trade, and agricultural expansion have intensified human–wildlife interactions, facilitating pathogen spillover. The ecology of wildlife diseases is shaped by host diversity, pathogen evolution, environmental conditions, and socio-economic factors. This review examines the role of wildlife in zoonotic disease emergence, key ecological drivers, mechanisms of spillover, and current control and mitigation strategies. Emphasis is placed on surveillance, One Health approaches, habitat management, and policy interventions to reduce future zoonotic risks while conserving wildlife populations.