Zoonotic diagrams: mastering and unsettling human‐animal relations

Zoonotic diagrams, traditionally used to depict animal-human infection pathways, serve dual roles: they both assert human mastery over interspecies relations and challenge these dynamics. The study analyzes the emergence and application of such diagrams in two contexts—the Grand Canyon National Park's plague warning sign and the CDC's Ebola outbreak campaign—revealing their biopolitical operations. While these diagrams aim to guide public behavior, they also create spaces for unsettling human-animal relations, highlighting the complexities and tensions inherent in representing zoonotic cycles.

Lynteris, C. (2017). Zoonotic diagrams: mastering and unsettling human‐animal relations. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 23(3), 463–485. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9655.12649