Thank you Man, continue like this if you want to disappear quickly from Earth. Human activity and the destruction of biodiversity are responsible for the appearance of new viruses from the animal world, such as the coronavirus at the origin of the Covid-19 epidemic. This is what a study by researchers from the University of California veterinary school has just shown.
They studied 142 cases of viral "zoonoses" (diseases transmitted from animals to humans) listed in studies since 2013, which they then crossed with the lists of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which ranks endangered species in particular. Rodents, primates and bats have been identified as hosts of the majority of viruses transmitted to humans (75.8%) and domestic animals as carriers of 50% of the zoonoses identified.
Among threatened wildlife, "those whose populations are declining due to exploitation and loss of habitat share more viruses with humans," note researchers in the magazine Proceedings of the Royal society (biological sciences ).
One million plant and animal species in danger because of humans
"Our data illustrate how the exploitation of wildlife and the destruction of natural habitat underlie disease transfers, putting us at risk of emerging infectious diseases," said Christine Johnson, AFP led the study, carried out before the onset of the current epidemic, which some scientists believe may come from a species of bat.
“We are changing the territories by deforestation, the conversion of land for agriculture, livestock or construction. This increases the frequency and intensity of contact between humans and wildlife, creating the ideal conditions for viral transfers, "she said. According to the UN biodiversity experts (IPBES), one million animal and plant species are in danger of disappearing due to human activity.
Our file on the coronavirus
In 2016, the United Nations environment agency pointed out that some 60% of infectious diseases in humans are of animal origin, and 75% of emerging diseases. She estimated that the latter had had a direct cost over the past two decades of $ 100 billion, which could be multiplied if they passed to the stage of human pandemic, as did the new coronavirus.
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