Perspectives in Biology and Medicine

The current rapid rate of species extinction and loss of biodiversity occurring throughout the world has the potential to exact far-reaching adverse impacts on human health in many ways, including increasing the risk of infectious disease transmission. Here, we use Lyme disease as a model to illustrate how loss of biodiversity in the community of vertebrates may lead to increased transmission of zoonotic pathogens in humans. We also illustrate how preserving biodiversity has the potential to reduce the prevalence of human infectious disease more generally.