314— STEM and Society: The Effects of Deforestation on Zoonotic Virus Transmission in South America

Deforestation is increasingly associated with the transmission of zoonotic viruses, such as the Yellow Fever virus in South America. Increasing rates of deforestation in South America may cause viral transmission to accelerate, but may depend on the factors responsible for deforestation. The purpose of this study is to determine how the type of deforestation affects virus transmission. In particular, the deforestation caused by mining may have different effects on animal hosts and vectors (e.g. mosquito) of the Yellow Fever virus compared to deforestation caused by logging. To test this, I obtained data from various databases, including the Global Forest Watch, Center for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization. My preliminary results show that states, such as Mato Grosso and Para, display some of the highest levels of logging and mining in Brazil along with some of the highest Yellow Fever cases. This finding may be due to populations of mosquitoes that are either displaced or moved closer or further away from the human population. My future study could focus on various other types of virus transmission around the world and how public health in different communities is affected.