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Wildlife as sentinels for human health hazards: a review of study designs

Rabinowitz, P M and Cullen, M R and Lake, H R

Journal of Environmental Medicine (1999) 1: 217–224

DOI: 10.1002/jem.33

Abstract

A systematic search of the peer-reviewed biomedical literature was performed for original studies linking environmental hazards with health effects in wild animal populations. Some 104 original studies were identified in the BIOSIS and Medline databases since 1966 and classified in terms of study design. A marked increase in published studies had occurred over the past decade, examining a wide range of hazards and outcomes. Most analytical studies were ecological or cross-sectional in nature. All cross-sectional studies sampled subjects on the basis of exposure, using a reference population for the selection of controls. Studies of wild animal populations may hold unique advantages for toxicant hazard identification, yet the current range of study designs appeared restricted. Increased use of study approaches such as sampling based on outcome, intra-population comparisons, as well as cohort and case-control designs may improve hazard identification and priority setting for confirmatory toxicological and human studies of effects seen in wildlife.

Citation

Rabinowitz, P. M., Cullen, M. R., & Lake, H. R. (1999). Wildlife as sentinels for human health hazards: a review of study designs. Journal of Environmental Medicine, 1(4), 217–224. https://doi.org/10.1002/jem.33 Primates, [Indexed using CAB Thesaurus terms], animals, Chordata, eukaryotes, mammals, reviews, vertebrates, Techniques and Methodology [ZZ900], Hominidae, Homo, man, wild animals, Other Wildlife Diseases [YY800], environmental impact, risk assessment, health hazards, biological indicators, environmental effects, environmental pollution, Human Health and the Environment [VV500], pollution, Pollution and Degradation [PP600], sentinel animals

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