Preventing our next pandemic
Submitted by Jaime Watkins
Species Guardian, Knox Co. Organizer
Endangered Species Coalition

Every time we turn on our TVs, look at our phones, or social media sites, there is a constant reminder. One to wear face masks, wash our hands for at least 20 seconds, don't attend gatherings of large groups, and to only go out when necessary. All of which are great advice for preventing ourselves from getting the coronavirus, but what would have prevented the coronavirus from ever getting to us?

A permanent global shut down of live wildlife markets and a total ban on the international sale and trade of wildlife. At this time, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and the Food and Agriculture of the United Nations (FAO) have a chance to right the wrong that has been going on for generations in the U.S and across the globe. How many pandemics need to occur before a permanent shut down takes place? How many more lives need to be lost?

The Coronavirus is considered a zoonotic disease, meaning it originated in wildlife and then transferred to humans. Tracing back to past zoonotic outbreaks, we find the 2003 SARS epidemic was linked to a “wet” market in China, where live wild animals were kept in extremely harsh conditions within close proximity of one another, waiting to be sold or slaughtered. Studies have shown the coronavirus also emerged from a similar “wet” market in the city of Wuhan.

The treatment of these animals causes them to develop illnesses, and the exposure and consumption of these animals by humans lead to the illnesses and diseases being transmitted to humans. Many pandemics have emerged this way, and we know it to be facts. Yet not enough has been done to prevent them from happening again and again.

In 2014-16, the Ebola outbreak claimed the lives of 11,325 people, and was believed to have been spread through African Fruit Bats and the consumption of bushmeat. The Swine Influenza, or H1N1, that emerged from the interactions of North American and Eurasian pig herds in 2009-10, caused an estimated 151,700-575,400 deaths worldwide.

The Zika Virus was first identified in monkeys and spread through mosquitoes to humans. The AIDS pandemic was a transmission of HIV from chimpanzees that crossed over to humans, and has continued to infect more than 75 million people and claim the lives of over 32 million since the start of the epidemic in 1981. Currently, we are in the novel Coronavirus pandemic which has infected over 11.6 million people across the globe, and over 539,000 lives have been lost so far.

As the fight continues, there is a growing effort to curb the spread of disease and prevent new strands from occurring. China has agreed to temporarily ban the sale and trade of wildlife until the virus subsides. However, many believe that is not enough. Members of congress recently released a bi-partisan letter calling on the WHO, OIE, and FAO to "take aggressive action toward a global shut down of live wildlife markets and a ban on the international trade of live wildlife that is not intended for conservation purposes." Which is a necessary prevention measure considering 6 out of 10 diseases that affect the human body come from animals.

China may be the headline country for the global ban but the sale and trade of wildlife exists all across the world in one form or another. Animals are being exploited in various ways from “wet” markets, roadside zoos, fur clothing, false medicinal purposes, and as exotic foods and pets . These animals came from one place likely shipped to another, stuffed in cages, tortured, violated, and exploited to accommodate an accelerating demand for a product. The inhumane conditions of these animals are a breeding ground for new viruses. Live animal markets and the sale and trade of wildlife has got to be brought to an end. If nothing is done to change the course of events causing zoonotic diseases then recurring outbreaks are inevitable.

As we move our nation forward with what this year brings us next, let's take a moment and reflect on our past becoming our present, and how we can protect our future. America's resilience has proven itself many times over, but it has also been proven if we do not learn from the past we are destined to repeat it. It may be too late to have prevented the Coronavirus, SARS, AIDS, and H1N1 outbreaks from happening but it is not too late to prevent the next zoonotic epidemic.

I urge you to contact your local and state representatives and ask them to stress their support for a permanent ban on the international sale and trade of wildlife. Your dedication to these issues could ensure these important changes take place. We cannot let this matter proceed without further repercussions. We must hold our leaders responsible for the changes in laws that our lives so desperately depend on.

Published July 13, 2020