Epidemics Human Footprint (ARTE) – Scientists are sounding the alarm

A new infectious disease appears on average every four months around the world. Ebola, dengue, bird or swine flu, Lyme disease: three-quarters of these viral or bacterial infections originate from an animal reservoir. However, from intensive livestock farming to deforestation and urbanization, human activities have exploded our interactions with more and more wild and domestic species. From Thailand to Kenya, from the United States to Peru, this documentary follows researchers around the world who study and monitor the movement of pathogens likely to cause future pandemics…

“Wild animals are not the bad guys. We humans are causing the changes that cause today’s infectious diseases to emerge. », explains Sharon Deem, epidemiologist and wildlife veterinarian, in St. Louis (USA). This documentary is a wake-up call. It’s urgent. The destruction of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity leads to increased contact and spread of viruses to humans and livestock. All over the world, we follow the work of epidemiologists, virologists and other researchers, who track viruses and their mutations. The health crisis we have witnessed recently can only be a harbinger of more devastating epidemics. A new infectious disease appears every four months around the world. In the face of this danger, humans must change their way of consuming and their relationship with nature.

Epidemics, the Human Imprint, Saturday, November 11, at 11:15 pm on Arte Channel