UN Biodiversity Chief Says Wildlife Markets Increase Risk Of Future Disease Outbreaks

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th April, 2020) The so-called wet markets, such as the wildlife market in Wuhan, China, increases the risk of zoonotic disease spread and reducing the number of live animals there might help to significantly reduce the probability of future outbreaks, UN Convention on Biological Diversity Acting Executive Secretary Elizabeth Maruma Mrema said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Live animal markets (also known as 'wet markets' in parts of Asia, such as the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan China, in which live fish, meat and wild animals are sold) are an important risk factor for disease spread as is the global wildlife trade," Mrema said.

She added, "Measures taken by countries to reduce the number of live animals in food markets have the potential to significantly reduce the risk of future disease outbreaks and stricter controls on the sale and consumption of wild species must be scaled up globally.

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However, Mrema noted that a potential blanket ban on the trade of wild species does not only lack to eliminate the risk of future zoonotic spillover but could create favorable conditions for illegal trade and, therefore, new diseases to emerge.

She further stated that the international community needs to implement more robust, comprehensive and coordinated prevention mechanisms, as well as enhance the capacity to detect, examine and respond to future health emergencies - measures that are far less costly than pandemic response.

Some scientists claimed that COVID-19 that has already infected more than 1.3 million people worldwide and killed another 79,091 likely mutated in bats before jumping to humans in a wet market in Wuhan, China. However, others have disputed such claims.