Anthropology of infectious disease emergence and epidemic control: a review

Traditional biomedical and epidemiological approaches have been crucial in preparing for and responding to infectious disease epidemics. But biologists, public health researchers and actors, and global health institutions have increasingly recognized that medical anthropology can contribute to epidemic response. Although medical anthropologists have welcomed their integration into epidemic response, they have simultaneously insisted that an anthropology of epidemics should not be siloed, that is, channelled exclusively into ensuring public acceptance and uptake of epidemic control measures.

The aim of this narrative review was to present a selection of the medical anthropological contributions to different stages of infectious disease epidemic processes, from zoonotic spillovers to epidemic response and preparedness for future epidemics.

We conducted searches in PubMed and Web of Science on multiple topics through 20 December 2024, including medical anthropological contributions to understanding zoonotic spillovers and epidemic emergences, epidemic response, and epidemic preparedness. We also manually added important publications (monographs and articles not listed in these searches).

The review provided concrete evidence of important medical anthropological contributions to literatures on zoonotic spillovers leading to epidemic emergence, epidemic response, and preparedness for future epidemics. We show that medical anthropology can produce substantial insight and propose pragmatic measures to full range of epidemic infectious disease processes.

More than an approach to strengthen public uptake of epidemic control measures, medical anthropology can productively contribute to insight into the full range of epidemic processes. To produce new multidisciplinary insights into epidemic processes, from epidemic emergence to response to preparing for future epidemics, we encourage new collaborations between medical anthropologists and clinical microbiologists.