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International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences Research Article
Climate change, zoonotic spillover and the rising threat of emerging infectious diseases
Nitha B
Year : 2026 | Volume: 11 | Issue: 6 | Pages: 1-7
Received on: 17/08/2026
Revised on: 21/09/2026
Accepted on: 12/10/2026
Published on: 01/11/2026
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Nitha B( 2026).
Climate change, zoonotic spillover and the rising threat of emerging infectious diseases
. International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences, 11( 6), 1-7.
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Abstract
The landscape of global public health is being fundamentally reshaped by an accelerating convergence of environmental and anthropogenic factors, leading to an increased frequency and geographic expansion of Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs). The majority of these EIDs are zoonotic in origin, underscoring the critical role of spillover events from animal reservoirs to human populations. Climate change supports spillover through a variety of complex and interrelated ways. Primarily, animal reservoirs' behavior and spatial distribution are directly impacted by climate change. New infections are introduced to immunologically naïve human populations as a result of rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns that extend acceptable habitats for these organisms into new areas. Human-wildlife encounter is more likely as a result of this regional blurring of former biological boundaries. Additionally, as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation brought on by climate change, wildlife are forced to move closer to agricultural regions and human settlements in search of resources, which creates new interfaces for cross-species transmission. Spillover risk is acutely increased by extreme weather events, which are a sign of a warming globe. The climate-driven ecological disruptions are compounded by globalized travel and trade, which can rapidly transport a locally spilled-over pathogen across the world. This complex interplay creates a syndemic of environmental and health crises, challenging existing surveillance and response systems. Thus, the paper is an attempt to explore the evidence demonstrating that anthropogenic climate change acts as a potent catalyst and multiplier of zoonotic spillover risk, thereby elevating the global threat of epidemics and pandemics. In short, preserving ecosystem integrity and stabilizing the climate is not merely an environmental goal but a fundamental cornerstone of pandemic prevention in the 21st century.
Keywords
Climate Change, Zoonotic Spillover, Emerging Infectious Diseases, One Health.
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© The Author(s) 2026. This article is published by International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (creativecommons.org), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
