The Wildlife Conservation Society, an advocacy organization based in New York, called for a global ban on the commercial sale of wildlife, especially in markets like those in China, saying that the latest outbreak proved the public health threat. Vendors and even officials in state news media have touted wildlife as alternative sources of protein and sources of revenue in impoverished regions. Worries about meat supplies surged last year over the outbreak of African swine fever, which led to the killing of 40 percent of the country’s pigs. Production of domesticated livestock on the country’s farms is, compared to the sale of wildlife, subjected to far more regulation and inspection. Part of the problem with the wildlife trade is that there is far less regulation, despite the greater risk of live animals’ infecting each other and people, especially in markets that can be unsanitary.

Source: New York Times January 25, 2020 17:48 UTC