New Delhi, Feb. 14 -- A study has found that nearly 44 per cent of the world's population, approximately 3.5 billion people, could be exposed to zoonotic diseases - which are caused by pathogens transmitted from animals to humans.

The study titled Zoonotic Host Richness in the Global Wildland-Urban Interface conducted by Yale School of the Environment, also revealed that around 20 per cent of humans living in close proximity to wildlife with high zoonotic potential share their habitat with over 20 different host species.

Published recently, the findings highlight the risks of zoonotic disease transmission in areas where human populations intersect with wildlife. The study suggests that approximately 3.5 billion people, living within fiv...