Despite concerns that “wet markets” selling live animals like cats, dogs and bats helped spread the novel coronavirus, these markets have started reopening in several regions in China. AGAIN!
The current COVID-19 crisis was born out of people who worked and shopped at a “wet market” in Wuhan, China. A wet market sells live and dead animals —including fish, birds, badgers, bats, pangolins (scaly anteaters), and turtles — for human consumption. These markets are wet. Water splashes over the sides of open tubs filled with live sea animals that will inevitably be killed; countertops and floors are streaked red with the insides of gutted fish and the blood of slaughtered animals.
In recent years we have seen an alarming uptick in deadly viruses emerging from human contact with live animals.
The deadliest viruses emerged from human contact with live animals:
Asian Flu in 1957-1958 from a mutation in wild ducks — at least 1.1 million dead
H5N1 Bird Flu in 1997 from Chinese geese — at least 455 dead
SARS in 2002-2003 from wild animals (perhaps bats, civet cats) — at least 774 dead
H7N9 Bird Flu in 2013 from poultry at live bird market — about 610 dead
Novel Coronavirus/COVID-19 in 2019-present from wild animals (perhaps bats) in a wet market in Wuhan — 40,000 dead, and counting
China’s domestic demand and customs for exotic and live food are a direct threat to the health, safety and welfare of the world. We can no longer allow China’s domestic actions — and inaction — to threaten the world health and economy. National Geographic reports that the Chinese government allows 54 wild species to be bred on farms and sold for consumption, including minks, ostriches, hamsters, snapping turtles, and Siamese crocodiles. Many wild animals, such as snakes and birds of prey, are poached and brought to state-licensed farms.
National Geographic reports that the Chinese government allows 54 wild species to be bred on farms and sold for consumption, including minks, ostriches, hamsters, snapping turtles, and Siamese crocodiles. Many wild animals, such as snakes and birds of prey, are poached and brought to state licensed farms. Some department and big-box stores also sell wild meat and live amphibians for consumption. But only the rich can afford soup made with palm civet (a cat-size mammal native to jungles throughout Southeast Asia), fried cobra, or braised bear paw.
China is a dictatorship. They could end wet markets tomorrow if they wanted. The fact they allow them to exist is unconscionable.
The United States — the country now most affected by COVID-19 — must demand China make institutional changes in their domestic food safety policies to help eliminate the threat of a pandemic. How many more animal-born viruses must we fall victim to before we demand that China and others stop the behavior that most often causes them?
While bats are believed to be the primary source of the novel corona virus, researchers believe that an intermediate host might have carried it to humans.Markets in south-west China’s Guilin and southern China’s Dongguan are back in business where meats of domesticated animals like cats and dogs are sold, the Washington Examiner reported. Following the report that the wet markets might have contributed to the spread of the coronavirus, the Chinese government earlier banned the sale of wild animals.
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