OpenFields

Protecting countryside users against zoonotic diseases by influencing their behaviour

A Relu Policy and Practice Note (No. 27) that summarises a research project investigating the scope for influencing people’s behaviour, and helping them to protect themselves against diseases that can pass from animals to humans.

Year of Publication2011

The countryside and green spaces are important for our physical and mental wellbeing and government policies encourage more people to make use of them. But there are some hazards that may be unfamiliar, such as zoonotic diseases that can pass from wildlife to humans, for example Lyme disease. Disease of this kind is relatively rare, so it would not be appropriate to tell people not to go out and enjoy the benefits of the countryside, but it is on the increase. This calls for new ways of managing disease and of influencing the behaviour of countryside users – both visitors and those who work there. It requires more than just giving out information.

This item is categorised as follows

• Subject Collection > Rural policy & development > UK rural policy
• Subject Collection > Livestock & dairy
• Subject Collection > Tourism & recreation > Access to the countryside

Additional keywords/tags

risk managementzoonotic diseaseslyme diseaserisk communication