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Key quote from the article: > “If we were to shut the wildlife markets, a lot of these outbreaks would be a thing of the past,” says Ian Lipkin, director of Co
by EndXA 7y ago
Key quote from the article:
> “If we were to shut the wildlife markets, a lot of these outbreaks would be a thing of the past,” says Ian Lipkin, director of Columbia University’s Center for Infection and Immunity, whose lab worked with Chinese officials to develop early diagnostic tests for SARS.
> That’s because both SARS and the new outbreak are zoonotic, meaning these diseases started in animals before spreading to humans. Zoonotic diseases rank among the world’s most infamous. HIV, Ebola, and H5N1 influenza, for example, all percolated in wildlife before close interactions with humans spawned international outbreaks. With SARS, food preparers and people who handled, killed, and sold wild animals made up nearly 40 percent of the first cases. The earliest episodes were also among people who were more likely to live within walking distance of wildlife markets.
- oiasdjfoiasd 7y agoAnd it would also take away the livelihood of a lot of people...
- wallflower 7y ago> The earliest episodes were also among people who were more likely to live within walking distance of wildlife markets. Also, the distance from the Wuhan wildlife market to the high-speed rail station is walking distance.
- chrisco255 7y agoNat Geo is making a lot of assumptions here based on official Chinese info. There is also a world class virology research center in Wuhan that opened in the last few years that was studying viruses just like this. I don't think it's a coincidence it broke out in Wuhan, as there are wildlife markets in other cities in China too.
- CydeWeys 7y agoMaybe (hopefully?) China will shut down these markets after this outbreak. They've been known to take serious measures in the past when necessary. Surely the benefit of these markets cannot outweigh their costs (including on the local wildlife, not just infectious diseases).
- verroq 7y agoWon’t that just drive it underground? Then nobody would even know where it started when the next outbreak happens.
- CydeWeys 7y agoDon't underestimate how effectively a totalitarian and surveillance state like China can be in discouraging behaviors they don't want. People aren't willing to risk their lives just to eat exotic animals. And that could be what's at stake here; witness what happened to some of the people involved in the melamine baby milk formula scandal.
- csomar 7y agoYou can drive it underground because, I think, the problem is coming from having too many animals/people in a small crowded place. If people were to raise their own cattle it'd be much healthier[-]. - Not really an expert, might be wrong.
- apta 7y agoThat's a very western-centric view of things. I'm assuming trying to draw parallels from happened when the US tried alcohol prohibition, which failed partially due to government greed. These things can be effective in other cultures, especially when people believe in the cause (e.g. see how quickly and efficiently alcohol consumption practically ceased overnight in Islamic history).
- Zod666 7y ago
- golemiprague 7y agoIsn't it like saying "if we were to shut up gay sexual relationships"? Because the main way for distribution of HIV is via gay anal sex, so if we close the market why not ban gay sexual relationships? Maybe that's why the bible forbidden eating of those type of animals and gay relationships, at least they were consistent