Research by scientists suggests viruses such as Covid-19 are being shared between animals and people because of increased human contact with wildlife – and the species most likely to be transmitters are those deemed to be endangered or threatened (largely because of hunting, the wildlife trade and habitat loss).
Rodents, bats and primates are thought to host 75% of all viruses, with bats alone linked to serious diseases such as Sars and Ebola. These are animals that have adapted to man-made environments and often live close to humans. Domesticated animals – such as farm animals, cats and dogs – share the highest number of viruses with people and carry eight times more viruses than wild mammals, the scientists found.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization is being lobbied by 200-plus wildlife groups to take a hard line on live wildlife markets and the use of animals in traditional medicine. They claim that Covid-19 is likely to have originated in China, where both of the aforementioned practices are widespread, and that banning them would help to prevent the spread of disease as well as halt species decline.
The groups state in their letter to the WHO that 2 million people die annually from animal-borne diseases and 2 billion become ill from them, including rabies and HIV.
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Research by scientists suggests viruses such as Covid-19 are being shared between animals and people because of increased human contact with wildlife – and the species most likely to be transmitters are those deemed to be endangered or threatened (largely because of hunting, the wildlife trade and habitat loss).
Rodents, bats and primates are thought to host 75% of all viruses, with bats alone linked to serious diseases such as Sars and Ebola. These are animals that have adapted to man-made environments and often live close to humans. Domesticated animals – such as farm animals, cats and dogs – share the highest number of viruses with people and carry eight times more viruses than wild mammals, the scientists found.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization is being lobbied by 200-plus wildlife groups to take a hard line on live wildlife markets and the use of animals in traditional medicine. They claim that Covid-19 is likely to have originated in China, where both of the aforementioned practices are widespread, and that banning them would help to prevent the spread of disease as well as halt species decline.
The groups state in their letter to the WHO that 2 million people die annually from animal-borne diseases and 2 billion become ill from them, including rabies and HIV.