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Environmental & Social Ecology of Human Infectious Diseases (ESEI) Understanding the drivers of emerging infections … INTRODUCTION Environmental and social drivers can play a critical role in the transmission and spread of many infectious diseases. The rapid rate of globalisation and widespread environmental change is increasing the potential threat to human health from both existing and novel infectious pathogens. Over 60% of infections in humans are caused by pathogens that can be spread from non-human animals to people (zoonotic diseases) and transmission can often be complicated by the involvement of specific vectors such as mosquitos and other biting insects. The Environmental and Social Ecology of Human Infectious Diseases ESEI was an £11million joint initiative between the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) under the umbrella of the Living With Environmental Change programme. ESEI was developed to respond proactively to the global problem of potential pandemic, epidemic and emerging infectious diseases by increasing our knowledge of the complex environmental and social interactions involved in the emergence and transmission of pathogens. ... SEE ATTACHED complete PDF