Wet markets important risk factor for disease spread: UN biodiversity chief

The wet markets, such as the Huanan Seafood Market in China's virus-hit Wuhan city, are an important "risk factor" for disease spread, the UN biodiversity chief has said as she called for scaling up stricter controls on the sale and consumption of wild species globally.

Wild animals sold in the Huanan Seafood Market are believed to be the source of the novel coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 82,000 lives worldwide so far. The Huanan market was closed after the virus outbreak in China in December last year.

"Live animal markets (also known as 'wet markets' in parts of Asia, such as the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan China, in which live fish, meat and wild animals are sold) are an important risk factor for disease spread as is the global wildlife trade," Acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Elizabeth Maruma Mrema said on the occasion of World Health Day on Tuesday.

She said measures taken by countries to reduce the number of live animals in food markets have the potential to significantly reduce the risk of future disease outbreaks and stricter controls on the sale and consumption of wild species must be scaled up globally."
The official underscored that lessons learned from COVID-19 and other epidemics also point to the need for concerted action supported by a long-term vision; "one that enables us to fundamentally transform our collective understanding of, and relationship with, the natural world, to prevent, insofar as possible, future pandemic outbreaks."
"I think these are medical questions that should be addressed by the medical community. It is clear that we should take whatever public health measures we can take in order to help stop the spread of the virus, whether it's this one or others," Dujarric said