Import of wild animals into UK poses public health risks.

A recent study conducted by World Animal Protection has discovered that over 3 million live wild animals were imported into the UK between 2014 and 2018 from over 90 countries to be sold as exotic pets, including animals from tropical regions identified as emerging disease hotspots.

It is believed that around 70% of all zoonotic emerging infectious diseases have originated from wild animals, and over 35 infectious diseases have emerged in humans since 1982, including Ebola, MERS and SARS.

Courtesy of Nicole Liang.

Kim McCoy8 December 2020Exotic animals, Exotic pet trade, Zoonotic diseasComment