Changing land use can increase threat of animal‑to‑human disease spread

Changes to land use can directly heighten the risk of diseases spreading from animals to humans, new University of Stirling–led research has shown. The study, led by Dr. Adam Fell of the University's Faculty of Natural Sciences, shows that deforestation, farming, fast-growing cities and fragmented habitats heighten the risk of zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19 and malaria, especially those spread by mosquitoes, rodents and bats.