By
David Njagi
NAIROBI, Kenya (PAMACC News) - Illegal
traffic in live animals is one of the leading causes of zoonotic diseases
spread around the world, a new report by the United Nations Environmental
Programme (UNEP) has warned.
The
report, Emerging Issues of Environmental
Concern, lists Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East
Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), avian flu, monkey pox and even ebola as some of
the diseases which may have jumped species into the human genome.
According
to the document, humans are likely to catch infections from animals because a
live animal requires a courier to transport it along the value chain, often
though secret trade routes.
“The
animals may not be quarantined and often make contact with the person
transporting them,” explains Jacqueline McGlade, the chief scientist at UNEP.
At
least 40,000 primates, four million birds, 640,000 reptiles and 350 million
tropical fish are traded globally each year, argues the report, adding that it
is the fourth most lucrative black market after drugs people and arms
trafficking.
The
Middle East is the leading transit and destination for wildlife, where cartels
are using technology to pitch for markets.
“It
is an industry that now uses the internet and popular social media sites such
as facebook and instagram to contact customers,” says the report launched today
at the ongoing United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi.
Zoonotic
diseases are those that are transmitted from animals to human beings, and have
widely been linked to climate change.
Latest
intelligence collected by UNEP however indicates that crime syndicates are also
causing the spread of disease.
“We
need to bring together veterinary and medical experts to tackle the spread of
zoonoses,” says McGlade.
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