A new horizon for public health in the anthropocene: The impact of anthropogenic changes on the symbiotic association of microbes, public health, and disease dynamics

Symbiotic links emerge as crucial players in the Anthropocene's dynamic environment, dictating ecological paths and shaping responses to anthropogenic change. This paper provides an in-depth examination of the diverse effects of anthropogenic change on symbiosis, relying on a wide range of symbiotic interaction modes. The primary objective is to evaluate how anthropogenic changes reshape microbial and ecological symbioses, while the secondary objective is to assess the implications for public health and disease dynamics. The study delves into five major aspects of symbiosis: genetic effects, co-evolving partners, jointly constructed environments, degree of dependency, and operational forms. To define the effects of anthropogenic change on symbiosis, a new typology and paradigm are presented, incorporating differences in partner choice, niche availability, and adaptive pathways. Methodologically, this work is based on a comprehensive literature review and synthesis of recent studies, supported by comparative ecological and health-related datasets. The discussion ranges from insect-fungus collaborations to the impact of agriculture on plant-microbe interactions and the putative catalytic role of anthropogenic change in commencing symbiogenesis. The research demonstrates how anthropogenic change both destroys and remoulds symbiotic relationships of various sizes. Results highlight specific associations, such as reduced Bacteroides linked to obesity, increased Firmicutes associated with metabolic disorders, and ecosystem-level impacts like sedimentation affecting coral reef microbiomes. It reveals anthropogenic change's ability to promote symbiogenesis by generating distinct niches, introducing different partners, and altering selection patterns. The importance of the co-evolutionary dance of symbiosis in building ecosystem resilience and change is emphasized. Symbiosis emerges as a lens to understand the fundamental interconnection of biological forms and ecosystems in an anthropogenic change–marked world. In conclusion, these insights stress the urgent need to integrate microbial and ecological symbioses into conservation and public health strategies as part of sustainable future planning. • Introduces a paradigm to analyze anthropogenic change (AC) impacts on symbiotic systems. • Proposes a typology of AC effects on symbiosis, supported by empirical data and health indicators. • Shows how AC drives disruption of symbioses and emergence of new partnerships. • Uses prevalence, relative risk, and odds ratio to assess health impacts of AC-related shifts. • Notes implications for conservation, resilience, and human–artificial organism collaborations.