What is zoonotic disease spill-over?
Zoonotic spillover requires close contact between a human and an animal or its organic material. This occurs when humans destroy rainforest ecosystems for industrial agriculture, rapid urbanisation, mining or other land conversion. Illegal wildlife hunting, bushmeat trade and the illegal pet trade expose humans to new pathogens from these wild animals. This pathogen transfer is the zoonotic spill-over from wild animal hosts to human hosts.
Bushmeat is a suspected vector for HIV and Ebola. Primates, rodents, pangolins, antelope, and vipers have all been shipped along air routes. One study found that 100% of seized bushmeat samples intercepted at borders had bacteria that was unsafe for human consumption. (C4ADS, 2020).
Source: What is causing the latest outbreak of Ebola in Uganda? – Palm Oil Detectives
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