Another pandemic could take place due to US meat supply? Here is what report claims

Another pandemic could come from the United State, USA Today reported citing findings of Harvard Law School and New York University. The report examines how humans, livestock and wild animals interact in the states.

Familiar and terrifying diseases like HIV/AIDS, Ebola, Zika, pandemic flu, and COVID-19 originated in animals, particularly on the African or Asian continents. These zoonotic diseases are often attributed to poor hygiene, lack of government oversight, or unsafe practices in those regions.

Despite the belief that such outbreaks couldn't occur in the U.S., researchers warn that due to loose regulations and frequent interactions, a virus or contagious bug could easily leap from animals to humans, causing a deadly outbreak.


A report by NYU's Center for Environmental and Animal Protection warns of the growing vulnerability to zoonotic diseases due to practices in the livestock, wild animal trade, and fur industries.

The study emphasizes the risks of close contact between animals and humans in commercial farms and the lack of health checks in the wild animal trade. Pigs and poultry, raised in large numbers in the US, pose a potential vector for deadly flu outbreaks.

However, CDC argues that the likehood of “spreading an avian disease to a human in the United States is extremely rare,” noted Ashley Peterson, National Chicken Council.

Another researcher whose shares similar subject of interest said that, “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.”

FAQs

1. What are the risks of zoonotic diseases from the US meat supply?
   The US meat supply is a major source of zoonotic diseases. This is because pigs, poultry, and other animals are raised in close proximity to humans in commercial farms. This close contact increases the risk of viruses and bacteria from animals being transmitted to humans.
2. What are the chances of another pandemic originating from the US meat supply?
   The chances of another pandemic originating from the US meat supply are real. However, it is impossible to say for sure whether or not it will happen.