The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently called for the cessation of the trade of live mammals in food markets around the world, in order to prevent the risk of new outbreaks of diseases in the future.
According to WHO guidelines, issued in conjunction with the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), animals, especially wildlife are the source of More than 70% of new infectious diseases appear in humans. Wild animals also pose a risk for new diseases. Therefore, banning the sale of wild mammals in traditional markets can help protect the health of small businesses and consumers.
Artwork: Reuters
WHO spokesperson Fadela Chaib said: “There is a rather serious problem that an urgent need to enact an emergency measure to stop the sale of wildlife living in traditional food markets, as a preventive measure. prevent. We need to know that most emerging infectious diseases originate from wild animals. Stopping the sale of live animals that are unsafe for food will reduce the risk of future transmission of the virus. This is not a new recommendation, but the Covid-19 translation has brought new attention to this threat with its enormous consequences. ”
In addition, WHO is also urging governments to close markets selling wild mammals if they are not fully implemented.
By the end of 2019, the first cases related to the Covid-19 epidemic had been recorded in Wuhan, China, and quickly broke out into a pandemic around the world. Although no official conclusions are available, preliminary research results show that SARS-CoV-2 virus was first detected at wildlife markets in Wuhan. This virus spreads to humans through intermediates, possibly pangolins. Earlier last year, the International Fund for the Protection of Nature in the Asia-Pacific also called for an end to wildlife trade and consumption in the region.
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