ABSTRACT
The unprecedented growth of urban populations in developing nations has brought significant changes in human-environmental interactions, reshaping the dynamics of disease emergence and transmission. Zoonoses have become increasingly prominent in these rapidly urbanizing landscapes due to environmental degradation, unregulated wildlife markets, poor sanitation, informal livestock rearing, and weak health infrastructure. This review explores the influence of urbanization on zoonotic outbreak occurrence, exploring integrative strategies for its prevention through a One Health lens. Drawing on insights from environmental health, urban planning, veterinary public health, and epidemiology, we highlight key interventions such as improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, regulation of urban wildlife trade, formalization of backyard livestock systems, and the expansion of community-based surveillance. It argues that operationalizing One Health in resource-limited cities through institutional coordination, risk-based policy reform, and participatory governance offers a feasible pathway toward resilience. Ultimately, preventing zoonoses must become a core pillar of sustainable urban public health, contributing not only to epidemic control but also to broader development goals such as food safety, environmental justice, and the attainment of the global sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly goals 3, 6 and 11.
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