By Abdullahi Lukman
A new study has found that the global wildlife trade significantly increases the risk of diseases passing from animals to humans, warning of greater chances of future outbreaks and pandemics.
Researchers analysing 40 years of international wildlife trade data reported that mammals involved in trade are about 1.5 times more likely to share pathogens—such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites—with humans than species not traded.
The study also found that traded species have a 50 percent higher likelihood of carrying at least one pathogen capable of infecting humans.
The findings further show that the longer a species remains in trade, the greater the risk, with an average increase of one additional shared pathogen for every decade of trade exposure.
Scientists say this reflects prolonged and repeated contact between humans and wild animals across the trade chain.
According to the study, interactions occur at multiple stages, including harvesting, breeding, transportation, market sales, and consumption, all of which create opportunities for pathogens to cross species barriers.
Live-animal markets were identified as particularly high-risk, with animals sold alive sharing about 1.5 times more pathogens than those traded as processed products like meat or fur.
Illegally traded wildlife was also found to carry a higher burden of pathogens compared to legally traded species.
The research was led by Dr. Jérôme Gippet of the University of Fribourg and the University of Lausanne, using data from global sources such as CITES, LEMIS, and wildlife seizure records, alongside a database of mammal-pathogen relationships.
While noting that shared pathogens do not always lead to direct transmission, the researchers concluded that traded wildlife species are more likely to act as reservoirs for zoonotic diseases.
They warned that the continued expansion of wildlife trade increases opportunities for new diseases to emerge in humans and called for stricter monitoring, improved regulation, and reduced trade volumes.
The study also highlighted gaps in existing international agreements, which largely focus on conservation rather than public health risks.
Researchers added that even indirect consumption of wildlife products contributes to disease exposure, as risks begin at the point of hunting and processing. They stressed that reducing unnecessary human contact with wild animals is key to preventing future infectious disease outbreaks.
