Experts Warn That Our Treatment of Animals Heightens Risk of Future Global Pandemics
As cases of monkeypox are confirmed in Canada, Portugal, Spain, the UK, and the US, experts emphasize the critical role human interactions with animals play in emerging pandemics. Like SARS, swine flu, and Covid-19, monkeypox is a zoonotic disease, transmitted to humans from animals. Such diseases make up about 75% of recent infectious outbreaks. First detected outside Africa in 2003, monkeypox spread in the US from exotic animals traded as pets, with all 47 infections in six states directly linked to infected animals. The virus can also be transmitted by handling or consuming contaminated animal meat. This global health threat underscores the urgent need for a reevaluation of how humans interact with and exploit animals.
