A new study from the University of Georgia and Oklahoma State University highlights the significant role of socioeconomic factors in sparking and spreading pandemics. The research emphasizes the need for improved sanitation and health care to prevent future outbreaks.
New research from the University of Georgia and Oklahoma State University suggests that socioeconomic factors could significantly influence the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases — those transmitted from animals to humans.
The study, published in the journal Microorganisms, highlights key drivers such as poverty, international travel and inadequate health care access as major contributors to bacterial outbreaks like tuberculosis, plague and salmonella.
The pressing nature of these findings echoes the sentiments of lead author Payton Phillips, a postdoctoral researcher at UGA’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory.
“It’s important to think about what conditions we are creating that might lead to disease outbreaks in the future,” Phillips said in a news release. “It’s our behavior, our medical systems, our travel, our economic conditions that play a role in disease outbreaks.”
The study examined data from over 300 global disease outbreaks, including the 100 largest between 1977 and 2017, evaluating 48 different drivers divided into socioeconomic and environmental categories.
While environmental factors, such as changing weather patterns and contact with wildlife or livestock, often trigger viral outbreaks, the research found that socioeconomic conditions significantly fuel their spread.
Socioeconomic elements analyzed in the study included antibiotic use, contaminated water and food, sewage management and public health infrastructure. The environmental factors considered encompassed climate change, vector spread like mosquitoes, and invasive species introductions.
“Knowing that these factors are so important, we need to push for better sanitation, improved water quality and more funding for medical interventions to keep outbreaks under control,” Phillips added.
The research aligns with alarming statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, confirming that more than 60% of infectious diseases in humans originate from animals, with 75% of emerging diseases stemming from animal populations.
Human interactions with these animals, either directly or indirectly through contaminated resources, are often the starting point for these outbreaks.
Phillips noted the critical nature of human actions in the spread of these pathogens.
“Many viruses are naturally found in certain animals. But it’s our behavior that allows them to spread,” added Phillips.
The implications of this research are profound. By understanding the fundamental role that socioeconomic factors play in disease outbreaks, policymakers and public health officials can develop more effective intervention strategies.
“If we know there are socioeconomic issues, like if water sanitation is a problem for a local area, then we can try to address it ahead of an outbreak,” Phillips added. “We can and should be more proactive.”
Source: University of Georgia