Scientists use climate, population changes to predict diseases
By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – British scientists say they have developed a model that can predict outbreaks of zoonotic diseases – those such as Ebola and Zika that jump from animals to humans – based on changes in climate. "Our model can help decision-makers assess the likely impact (on zoonotic disease) of any interventions or change in national or international government policies, such as the conversion of grasslands to agricultural lands," said Kate Jones, a professor who co-led the study at University College London's genetics, evolution and environment department. Around 60 to 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases are so-called "zoonotic events", where animal diseases jump into people.
