[Advances and Challenges in Biosafety Research for Urban Environments]

Abstract

The global emergence of infectious diseases significantly threatens biosafety and human health. Anthropogenic activities, including rapid urbanization, agricultural intensification, global trade, and travel, are major drivers of zoonotic disease emergence. Emphasizing on the nexus of human, animal, and environmental health, the 'One Health' approach has been widely accepted for managing and preventing zoonoses. Urban environments are characterized by strong and complex interactions among the microbiomes of humans, animals, and various environmental components, which manifest critical roles in urban biosafety. This review summarizes the recent advances and major challenges facing biosafety in urban environments. We also propose a prevention and control system for biosafety in urban environments through multi-sectoral and transdisciplinary collaborations to improve risk assessment and prevention for zoonotic disease threats at the system level.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance genes; biosafety; globalization; pathogenic microorganism; urban environments.