""We've known very definitively that viruses do jump from animals to humans. What the world didn't know was, could this be quantified? Could you actually put numbers on how many viruses make that jump?""
""The study is the 'first global quantitative evidence of that link', Gippet says, highlighting the importance of understanding the wildlife trade's role in disease transmission.""
""To analyse the data, the team created models to predict the risk of pathogen spread through trade interactions, accounting for circumstances including the species' evolutionary histories and proximity to human communities.""
A study estimates that nearly half of all wild mammal species traded for various purposes carry pathogens harmful to humans. Major disease outbreaks, including HIV, Ebola, and COVID-19, have been associated with wildlife trade. Recent data has allowed researchers to quantify the link between wildlife trade and pathogen transmission. The study focused on mammals due to their prevalence in trade and their history of transmitting diseases. Models were created to predict pathogen spread based on various factors, including species' evolutionary histories and proximity to human communities.
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