Covid-19 is Zoonotic, Eliminate the Cause!

COVID-19 originated from an animal bought and murdered in a live animal or ‘wet’ market, which exist all over the world.  Scientific evidence indicates the virus originated from a bat coronavirus, transferred to an intermediate host, an animal sold for consumption or traditional medicine.  It ultimately evolved into SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, and spread to humans. 

Zoonotic diseases, the cause of most epidemics and pandemics, result from exploitation of animals.  The most serious infectious diseases are zoonotic, caused by a pathogen “spills over” from animals to humans, and then transmitted directly among humans.

Emerging diseases are almost invariably zoonotic.  Examples include Covid-19, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Ebola virus, SARS, MERS, Swine Flu, and Avian Flu, among many others.  Zoonoses have caused the deadliest pandemics in history: Black Death, Spanish Flu, HIV, and now Covid-19.  Zoonotic diseases are increasing.  Without eliminating their cause - exploitation and abuse of other species - it is impossible to prevent the next pandemic.  It is time to treat innocent animals with the dignity and respect they deserve, if only for safety reasons.