Integrating Landscape Hierarchies in the Discovery and Modeling of Ecological Drivers of Zoonotically Transmitted Disease from Wildlife

Abstract

Changes in landscape and land use can drive the emergence of zoonoses, and hence, there has been great interest in understanding how land cover change and the cascade of ecological effect associated with it are associated with emerging infectious diseases. In this chapter, we review how a spatially hierarchical approach can be used to guide research into the links between landscape properties and zoonotic diseases. Methodological advances have played a role in the revival of landscape epidemiology and we introduce the role of methodologies such as geospatial analysis and mathematical modeling. Importantly, we discuss cross- scale analysis and how this would provide a richer perspective of the ecology of zoonotic diseases. Finally, we will provide an overview of how hierarchical research strategies and modeling might be generally used in analyses of infectious zoonoses originating in wildlife.