COVID-19 is a viral pandemic that has affected global citizens, economies, trade and animal welfare worldwide. Scientific community agrees that COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease; meaning it originated from animals, likely from wildlife sold at live animal markets. In a recent International Future Study, 29 renowned scientists from various fields are sounding the alarm about the underestimated link of animal welfare, pandemics, and public health. 

It is easy to think that it is just the live animal markets that are the biggest incubators of zoonotic diseases, but pigs and chickens also endure horrendous conditions in factory farms, while dogs and cats endure brutality in the dog and cat meat trade. Likewise fur farms are also breeding zones for disease. Since the emergence of COVID-19, millions of minks have been culled in infected fur farms across Europe and North America.

A zoonosis is any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans. SARS jumped to humans from civet cats, which are also sold in markets as pets and for consumption, and MERS was transmitted to humans from camels. Avian influenza, Ebola, HIV and many other Emerging Infectious Diseases originated in animals and were transmitted to humans. Zoonoses originating from wildlife pose huge public health, biosafety and even global security risks. These markets sell wild animals, dog and cat meat, cattle and other farmed animals, both dead and alive with little or no hygiene practices or regulation.

We can all make a difference when it comes to prevent the next pandemic.