Bubonic plague Quote by David Quammen
““Ebola is a zoonosis. So is bubonic plague. So was the so-called Spanish influenza of 1918–1919, which had its ultimate source in a wild aquatic bird and, after passing through some combination of domesticated animals (a duck in southern China, a sow in Iowa?) emerged to kill as many as 50 million people before receding into obscurity.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic, 2012
Zoonotic diseases often jump from animals to humans, causing massive outbreaks, as illustrated by historical pandemics.
In simple terms: Animal diseases can become human crises.
Key Takeaway
Watch animal health to prevent human disease.
Themes
health
pandemics
history
Mood
concerned
urgent
Type
scientific
educational
When to use this quote
- wildlife monitoring
- public health policy
- vaccine development
Key Concepts
zoonosis
epidemiology
species spillover
Questions to Reflect On
- What measures can reduce zoonotic spillover?
- How can we improve early detection?
A Different Perspective
Complex transmission chains can be hard to trace.
