High risk of animal-to-human diseases developing in some China fur farms, animal protection group says
Cross posted from: https://feddit.de/post/11142800
Here is the source and some photos and videos.
An investigation of five fur farms in China housing foxes, raccoon dogs and mink found a high risk of diseases developing that could jump from animals to humans, said animal protection group Humane Society International who conducted the study at the end of 2023.
The farms in China's northern Hebei and Liaoning provinces each held between 2,000 and 4,000 animals in intensive conditions, including in close proximity to poultry, HSI said.
Alastair MacMillan, a visiting professor at Surrey University's Veterinary School, said the high stocking density of the animals facilitates the rapid spread of viruses on droplets from one to another, and potentially to humans.
"The rapid circulation and mixing of different strains of virus from animal to animal facilitates their adaption to a mammalian host, the development of mutant strains of concern and a greater likelihood of a threat of human infection."
People don't want to admit it, but going vegan/vegetarian is a HUGE way to avoid zoonotic diseases in the future. Anywhere that groups of humans and groups of animals closely co-mingle is a risk factor.
This.
Cue cries of 'But bacun!'
We are generally vegetarian/peciterian at home, except when we get given free wild venison (a pest species here in NZ)