Another Covid-like pandemic in US? What report reveals

The report stated that many terrifying diseases like Ebola, Zika, HIV AIDS, and others originated from animals which are called zoonotic diseases, according to a report published by USAToday. 

Researchers found that a contagious virus could easily jump from animals to people in the United States, sparking a deadly outbreak. 

Ann Linder, one of the report’s lead authors said, “There really is this false sense of security and unfounded belief that zoonotic disease is something that happens elsewhere. In fact, I think we’re more vulnerable than ever in many ways.”

The report also highlighted the possible areas of transmission including close contact of livestock with each other in commercial farms, wild animal trade, fur trade, etc. She also said that more than 220 million live wild animals are imported into the US for various purposes every year.

“Through globalization, we’ve erased seas and mountains and other natural boundaries of disease. We’re mixing animals and pathogens across different continents and circulating at a dizzying and ever-increasing pace,” Ann Linder added. 

“According to the CDC, the likelihood of spreading an avian disease to a human in the United States is extremely rare,” said Ashley Peterson, National Chicken Council senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs. 

Delcianna Winders, an associate professor of law and director of the Animal Law and Policy Institute at Vermont Law and Graduate School in Royalton said that workers on commercial farms are vulnerable because of lack of regulations on their protection. 

“There is virtually no regulation of on-farm raising of animals. There’s limited regulation of the slaughterhouse but it is extremely inadequate and it’s getting worse. Right now, the federal government is deregulating slaughter, rather than increasing oversight,” Delcianna Winders said. 

Updated: 23 Jul 2023, 01:32 PM IST