Ecology of Disease

Today’s news is full of stories of emerging diseases that may have serious consequences to humans or animals. Frequently wildlife are involved. To better understand the true risks of these diseases and to develop appropriate methods to prevent or control outbreaks requires that we understand the ecology of the diseases themselves.

EMC faculty are on the forefront of this work. The marine metabonomics laboratory is searching for early markers of health deterioration that can signal the need to intervene before catastrophic events occur. The Vector Borne Diagnostic Laboratory has been discovering new diseases and diseases occurring in animals in unexpected habitats that are redefining our understanding of disease ecology