澳大利亚环保作家迈克尔·杜拉尼出版新书《Sentinels: When Diseases Spread Between Animals and Humans》，深入探讨人畜共患病对全球健康构成的威胁[1]。该著作以H5N1禽流感为主要案例，追溯其从1990年代中期集约化家禽养殖场的起源到全球蔓延的历程[1]。澳大利亚在6月确认了首例高致病性H5N1禽流感病例，而该病毒已在全球范围内造成数百人死亡[1]。
杜拉尼在书中指出，气候变化、栖息地破坏和工业资本主义等人为因素加剧了病原体从动物向人类传播的速度[1]。他表示："我们知道新疾病现在的跳跃速度比以往任何时候都要快。导致这种加速的原因就是我们自己。"[1]杜拉尼认为应对这一危机需要从根本上改变现有的经济体系[1]。他强调这个问题"比什么都更让我感到害怕"[1]。书中还提及昆士兰州作为澳大利亚的"土地清理资本"，曾是亨德拉病毒的出现地[1]。该书由Scribe出版社出版，售价37美元[1]。
Australian environmental author Michael Dulaney has published a new book titled Sentinels: When Diseases Spread Between Animals and Humans, which examines the escalating threat of zoonotic diseases—illnesses that jump from animals to humans [1]. The work uses H5N1 avian influenza as its central case study, tracing the virus from its origins in intensive poultry farming operations in the mid-1990s to its current global spread [1]. Dulaney argues that human-driven factors including climate change, habitat destruction, and industrial capitalism have dramatically accelerated the rate at which pathogens cross species barriers [1].
The timing of the book's release reflects growing global concern about such diseases. Australia confirmed its first case of highly pathogenic H5N1 in June, and the virus has already caused hundreds of deaths worldwide [1]. Dulaney's central assertion underscores the urgency of the moment: "We know that new diseases are now making the jump at a faster rate than ever before. And the cause for this great acceleration is us" [1]. The author contends that addressing this crisis demands fundamental changes to the existing economic system [1].
The book also highlights regional vulnerability to emerging diseases, noting that Queensland served as a site of "land-clearing capitalism" and was the location where Hendra virus emerged [1]. Published by Scribe, the book retails for $37 [1].