Our Planet is very rich and diverse with plants and animals co-existing and interacting among themselves, with each other and with other organisms. This co-existence occurs in an environment that allows for such. While such interactions may not benefit some animals, they have served as vital pathways for some diseases to thrive, like in the case of vector-borne or indirectly transmitted diseases. Changes in the environment, be it man made or natural, have increasingly played a role in allowing some of the disease causing pathogens to thrive and this has significant impact on the health status of our planet. Dying workforce reduce economic potential; diseased plants affect life sustenance in some affected areas, and diseased and dying animals impact the plants ecosystems, which could be good but also can be quite detrimental. When there is a shift in the natural ecosystems of animals, especially if those animals serve as vectors that can transmit diseases, then the resulting outcomes may result in undesirable circumstances. Here, we seek to understand different infectious diseases of animals and plants as well as the mechanisms and factors that allow for these pathogens to succeed, seeking ways to understand areas which can be exploited for control. The diseases studied are malaria, Ebola, cassava mosaic diseases, HIV/AIDS and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal); an emerging fungal pathogen.
Infectious Diseases and Our Planet