Zsl Wild Science Podcast

After more than a year of Covid-19 impacting global populations, health systems and economies, one of the major questions being asked was how did this start, and how can we prevent it from happening again? As we humans increasingly disturb our planet’s natural habitats and convert them to agricultural and urban areas, the way we interact with wildlife around us also changes. In this episode, Monni turns to a team of experts in wildlife diseases, to discuss this link between ecosystem degradation and infectious disease outbreaks. What makes an animal a good host for carrying zoonotic diseases? Can we predict and prevent infectious disease outbreaks in the future? And exactly what does a job as ‘human bait’ entail? Guests: Dr Rory Gibb, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Dr Christina Faust, Pennsylvania State University Dr Kimberly Fornace, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Overview 01:40   Monni welcomes Dr Rory Gibb, to discuss zoonotic hosts and their response to land-use change, a