Biodiversity, a weapon for the public health
By Denis Delbecq • June 26th, 2008 in 10:02 · Category: Actuality
To preserve biodiversity, it is also to protect the humanity. The saying has just found a new demonstration with jobs of two American researchers published on Wednesday in the "free" scientific magazine PLOS ONE (1). John Swaddle and Stavros Calos show that the diversity of avian fauna reduces the impact of the illness of the Western Nile, and the risks of human pollution.
Birds are known to be good reservoirs for this virus. And also
good lookouts so much some kinds are decimated. The United States follow therefore the health of birds put in animal boxes to discern the arrival of illness. Since 1999, when the virus appeared in the northeast of the United States, more than twenty thousand cases were listed, the number of the sick of which seven hundred deceases, and could be superior to two hundred thousand because illness is not always identified. The virus is transmitted by the mosquitoes who, as jobs in 2006 showed it, are compelled by the migrations of the blackbird — his favourite target to turn to the man. (2)
By studying avian fauna and cases proved to be of illness, canton by canton, Swaddle and Calos note that biodiversity tends to dilute the risk of human pollution. It had been already shown for the illness of Lyme, but it is the first time that this effect of dilution is noticed for an illness which leans on birds as reservoir.
Both researchers could not determine reason of this advantageous effect of avian diversity. Undoubtedly it will be necessary to study the role of each of kinds in relation to the virus of the Western Nile. But it is indisputable that some kinds which proliferate especially since biodiversity is reduced (ravens, jays, thrushes and sparrows) is also known to be reservoirs efficient for illness.
(1) Contrary with a majority of the scientific magazines, the consultation of publications to committee of reader of public Library of American Science is free. Expenses are taken by the authors, and their institutions, with a mechanism of support which allows to the researchers from poor countries to publish their jobs free.
(2) See the description of illness on the site of canada Health, the agency of Canadian public health.
Picture: © Denis Delbecq - on 2007
Article read 962 times. Tags:faune, birds, health, virus of the Western Nile
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