AÇÕES ANTRÓPICAS E O CICLO SILVESTRE DA RAIVA

IMPACTOS DA INTERAÇÃO INDEVIDA ENTRE HUMANOS E ANIMAIS SILVESTRES

Abstract

Rabies is a highly lethal viral zoonosis, whose transmission in the wild has intensified in recent decades due to increased anthropogenic activity. Habitat destruction, uncontrolled urban development, and wildlife trafficking are factors that favor contact between humans and wild species, such as bats, marmosets, and canines, the main reservoirs of the virus in the natural environment. This study aimed to review scientific literature on the impacts of human intervention on the wild rabies cycle, discussing changes in the disease's epidemiology and proposing prevention strategies based on the One Health approach. A qualitative narrative review was conducted, selecting articles published between 2000 and 2025 from the PubMed, SciELO, and Scopus databases. The data were analyzed along four axes: viral structure and mechanism of infection; main reservoirs and variants; epidemiology in Brazil and worldwide; and the impacts of human actions. The findings reveal that most recent human rabies cases in Brazil are associated with bats and primates, especially in socioeconomically vulnerable regions. Furthermore, there is growing evidence that environmental fragmentation and animal trafficking favor the emergence of new viral variants and their spillover to domestic and human hosts. The conclusion is that wild rabies must be addressed through integrated surveillance, environmental education, and the suppression of wildlife trafficking, considering the interdependence between human, animal, and environmental health.