Ebola Is Just One of Many

Co-developed with Catherine Machalaba, M.P.H., EcoHealth Alliance

For background information used in this graphic, please see:

Most known human infectious diseases are shared with animals (61 percent of known organisms pathogenic to humans). This is especially true for recently-emerging human infectious diseases which have primarily originated from wildlife. Known pathogens shared among animals and humans include those leading to diseases such as rabies, Influenza A, Ebola, SARS, Q Fever, toxoplasmosis, and many, many others. Infectious diseases account for over a billion human cases of disease annually, causing millions of deaths.

Human activities are causing increased opportunities for known and novel pathogen transmission, as well as their spread. There are numerous ways that we're altering interactions and dynamics between people and environments, including through land conversion, food production, antimicrobial use, resource extraction, global trade and travel, and emissions and other toxins.

Costs of recent outbreaks as estimated by the World Bank.

Infographic created using Piktochart (www.Piktochart.com).