Animal sales from Wuhan wet markets immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Here we document 47,381 individuals from 38 species, including 31 protected species sold between May 2017 and November 2019 in Wuhan’s markets. We note that no pangolins (or bats) were traded, supporting reformed opinion that pangolins were not likely the spillover host at the source of the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While we caution against the misattribution of COVID-19’s origins, the wild animals on sale in Wuhan suffered poor welfare and hygiene conditions and we detail a range of other zoonotic infections they can potentially vector. Nevertheless, in a precautionary response to COVID-19, China’s Ministries temporarily banned all wildlife trade on 26th Jan 2020 until the COVID-19 pandemic concludes, and permanently banned eating and trading terrestrial wild (non-livestock) animals for food on 24th Feb 2020. These interventions, intended to protect human health, redress previous trading and enforcement inconsistencies, and will have collateral benefits for global biodiversity conservation and animal welfare.

Ecology, evolution and spillover of coronaviruses from bats

“…The recent spillovers of bat coronaviruses to humans are consistent with an increasing number of emergent zoonoses from wildlife 2 , 3 . Wildlife farming and trade facilitate cross-species transmission of viruses by mixing species in stressful and crowded conditions 4 – 6 , while other behaviours, including hunting and guano mining, facilitate contact with bat-borne pathogens. Those are part of larger patterns of encroachment into wildlife habitats and increasing pressure from human population expansion and intensifying natural resource use.…”

Prosecution records reveal pangolin trading networks in China, 2014–2019

“…Subsequently, on 24 February 2020, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress implemented a permanent ban on poaching/trading/transporting any terrestrial wild (non-livestock) animals for food consumption. This redresses previous tacit tolerance for many forms of wildlife trade in China ( Xiao et al, 2021 ; Ye et al, 2020 ; Yin et al, 2020 ), often already illegal under WACL and/or the CITES ( Zhou et al, 2016c ), and thus carries a huge collateral benefit for global biodiversity and animal welfare ( Zhou et al, 2016b ). Particularly, as of 3 June 2020, China established a national intervention campaign aimed exclusively at pangolin conservation, promoting the protection of all pangolin species at the highest level, and has removed pangolin scale from the Chinese traditional medicinal Pharmacopoeia 2020 ( Pharmacopoeia Commission of the People's Republic of China, 2020 ).…”

COVID-19 Pandemic: Public Health Risk Assessment and Risk Mitigation Strategies

“…The Malayan pangolin population is also more susceptible to various coronaviruses; therefore, it is also considered a potential host reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 [60]. Strict measures against the trade of non-farmed animals, high standards of hygiene practices, and a regulatory framework for the wet market would help avoid the emergence of viral diseases and perhaps prevent predictable zoonotic transmissions [60][61][62].…”