Abstract:
An increasing trend in zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) has been observed worldwide. Most EID
outbreaks originate from wildlife, and these outbreaks often involve pathogen–host–environment interaction.
Garbage dumps act as an interface between humans, animals, and the environment, from which EIDs could arise.
Therefore, this review considers the presence of important pathogens associated with animals and vectors at
garbage dumps from a One Health perspective, looking at animal, human, and environmental factors that play a
role. A narrative review was performed focusing on four key points, including garbage dumps, animals, waste
pickers, zoonoses and EIDs. Articles addressing the presence of terrestrial animals, insects in garbage dumps, and
infectious diseases among waste pickers were included in this study. There were 345 relevant articles covering
395 species of terrestrial animals and insects, consisting of 4 species of amphibians, 180 species of birds, 84
species of insects, 114 species of mammals, and 13 species of reptiles. Furthermore, 97 articles (28.12 %)
addressed pathogens found in those populations. About half of the articles were interested in bacterial diseases
(52.58 %), followed by parasitic diseases (30.93 %) and viral diseases (30.93 %). Zoonotic pathogens were
described in 53.6 % of all articles, while 19.59 % focused on drug-resistant microbes, 13.40 % on rodent-borne
diseases, and 7.21 % on vector-borne diseases. Garbage dumps would play a role in the emergence of diseases.
The relevant factors at garbage dumps that may increase the risk of disease emergence include increased animal
populations and density, increased vector population, newly evolved strains of pathogens, increased interaction
between humans, domestic animals, wildlife, and vectors, and socio-economic factors. Therefore, sustainable
waste management will reduce waste generation, and improve waste collection, and disposal which helps reduce
the emergence of new diseases
