Mapping Global Bushmeat Activities to Improve Zoonotic Spillover Surveillance by Using Geospatial Modeling
Metadata only
Date
2023-04Type
- Journal Article
Abstract
Human populations that hunt, butcher, and sell bushmeat (bushmeat activities) are at increased risk for zoonotic pathogen spillover. Despite associations with global epidemics of severe illnesses, such as Ebola and mpox, quantitative assessments of bushmeat activities are lacking. However, such assessments could help prioritize pandemic prevention and preparedness efforts. We used geospatial models that combined published data on bushmeat activities and ecologic and demographic drivers to map the distribution of bushmeat activities in rural regions globally. The resulting map had high predictive capacity for bushmeat activities (true skill statistic = 0.94). The model showed that mammal species richness and deforestation were principal drivers of the geographic distribution of bushmeat activities and that countries in West and Central Africa had the highest proportion of land area associated with bushmeat activities. These findings could help prioritize future surveillance of bushmeat activities and forecast emerging zoonoses at a global scale. Show more
Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Emerging Infectious DiseasesVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
Centers for Disease Control and PreventionOrganisational unit
03584 - Bonhoeffer, Sebastian / Bonhoeffer, Sebastian
Funding
198428 - Agent-based tracking of disease spread with dynamic models of travel behaviour in a pandemic (SNF)
181248 - Global Policies for Antimicrobial Resistance in Animals (SNF)
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