CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT: IMPACTS ON THE EMERGENCE OF ZOONOSES

Abstract

Environmental and climatic changes have been recognized as important determinants of the emergence and re-emergence of zoonoses on a global scale. Processes such as deforestation, disordered urbanization, climate change, ecosystem degradation, and environmental disasters intensify the interaction between wildlife, domestic animals, and human populations, favoring the circulation of pathogens and increasing the risk of transmission of infectious diseases. In addition, variations in temperature, humidity, and precipitation regimes directly influence the dynamics of vectors, reservoirs, and hosts, contributing to the geographic expansion of zoonotic diseases and neglected tropical diseases, especially in socially vulnerable populations. Extreme climatic events, such as El Niño and La Niña, as well as the melting of glaciers, have been associated with the intensification of epidemic outbreaks, the contamination of water resources, and the creation of new ecological niches favorable to the dissemination of infectious agents. In the context of environmental disasters, such as dam ruptures, there is also a worsening of sanitary conditions, disruption of ecosystems, and increased human and animal exposure to zoonoses. Given this scenario, the One Health approach emerges as a fundamental strategy for an integrated understanding of these phenomena, highlighting the role of the veterinarian in the surveillance, prevention, and mitigation of environmental impacts on human, animal, and environmental health.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2026.002-014