Wildlife trade linked to human-pathogen sharing across mammals
TL;DR Summary
A Science study quantifies the pathogen spillover risk from the global wildlife trade: among 2,079 traded mammal species, about 41% share one or more pathogens with humans, compared with 6.4% of non-traded mammals. Live-trade increases transmission risk, illegal trade plays only a modest role, and species in trade tend to accumulate more pathogens over time (about one extra pathogen per decade of presence). The authors hope the findings inform trade regulations to help curb future pandemics.
- Almost half of traded wildlife carry disease-causing pathogens Nature
- Here’s how the wildlife trade is fueling disease outbreaks across the globe The Washington Post
- How bad for humans is wildlife trade? A new study has answers NPR
- Trafficked animals more likely to share pathogens with humans, says study Yahoo
- How the wildlife trade boosts the chance of a disease jumping from animals to humans Scientific American
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