The Socioecology of Disasters and Infectious Disease

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue comprises selected papers on the socioecology of disasters and infectious disease that collectively address concerns about increasing vulnerability from unfolding global trends in human demography and climate. The need for scholarship circumscribing the socioecology of disasters and infectious disease has never been greater. The occurrence, scale, and frequency of catastrophic disasters are expected to escalate over the coming decades, reflecting growing populations exposed to increasingly severe climate-driven weather and the like. Disasters can lead to wholesale societal and ecological transformation, including the emergence of conditions that favor the spread of infectious disease. Greater understanding of coupled socioecological dynamics can better ensure that response efforts intended to reduce public health threats do not instead defer or inflate risks by inadvertently increasing the likelihood of contact with pathogen vectors or reservoirs. The peer-reviewed papers selected for this Special Issue present innovative theory, case studies, comparative assessments, and tools that can help identify common thresholds of risk and provoke greater collective action. Formatted to favor rapid and widespread dissemination, the work presented in this Special Issue also offers valuable perspectives on sociocultural disparities in public health risks, with the aim of guiding the development of more equitable policies and practices intended to ensure human well-being after disasters.

Dr. Michael J. Blum
Dr. Dawn Wesson
Dr. Amy Lesen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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