Parks are sanctuaries but can also harbour disease – here’s how to protect yourself

By Katherine M. Robertson, PhD student, The University of Melbourne
Holly Kirk, Associate Professor & ARC Industry Fellow, Urban Ecology, Curtin University
Jacinta Humphrey, Senior Research Fellow in Urban Ecology, The University of Melbourne
Sarah Bekessy, Professor, Industry Laureate Fellow, The University of Melbourne; RMIT University

Parks are vital public spaces. This is especially true if you’re a parent with energetic children, or an office worker searching for a peaceful lunch spot.

But parks are also ideal environments for infectious diseases to spread, particularly through critters who carry harmful pathogens. This is because, unlike other public spaces, they are designed to connect humans and nature.

There’s a long list of diseases that may be found in parks. They range from those caused by direct…

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