US animal industries pose disease risks to humans, report says

The authors analyzed 36 animal markets in the United States, including dog breeding, hunting and trapping, livestock auctions, backyard chicken farms and petting zoos. To assess how much risk each industry poses, they conducted expert interviews and reviewed scientific papers, publicly available data, government regulations and more. For each industry, they considered 10 factors, including the number of animals involved, the pathogens known to carry them and the interactions they have with humans, as well as all relevant biosecurity practices and regulations.

“We just discovered so much that surprised us,” said Dr. Jamieson, starting with the staggering number of animals used for commercial purposes in the United States. The country produces more than 10 billion terrestrial animals for food each year, including more pigs and poultry, which can harbor and transmit flu, than almost any other country, Ms Linder said. It is also the world’s largest importer of both livestock and wildlife, the report said. (More than 220 million live wild animals are imported each year.)

However, the regulatory landscape is “inconsistent and full of holes,” Ms Linder said. Inspections of imported wildlife are irregular, and even when they do take place, they focus more on enforcing conservation rules than disease, she said. No federal agency is claiming jurisdiction over mink farms, which became Covid-19 hotspots, and before the pandemic, some states were unaware of how many of these farms were within their borders, the authors note.

The findings highlight the need for more regulation and better public education, said Dr. kuchipudi. Many Americans may not even realize that some of these industries and practices exist, he noted, but “the risk then could affect all of us.”

The report is just a starting point, the authors said, and important information — including basic data about the size and location of some animal industries — remains unknown. (People who work in some of these industries didn’t respond to the authors’ questions, Ms Linder said.) The next step, they said, is to fill in some of these data gaps and conduct more detailed assessments of the most risky practices.

“These threats are there,” Ms. Linder said, “whether we turn on the lights and face them or just continue to seek comfort in the dark.”