A better understanding of ‘wet markets’ is key to safeguarding human health, biodiversity

The origin of SARS-CoV-2 is surrounded by great uncertainty. Early on, some suggested a link between COVID-19 and the Wuhan seafood market in China. The origin of the virus is still unknown, but other theories are now widespread.

In response, the government has pushed for the closure of so-called “wet markets” around the world, but this is not an effective policy solution, Princeton University researchers report.

Extensive closure of all fresh markets can have unintended consequences of disrupting critical food supply chains and stimulating unregulated blacks. market for Products for animals, And stir up foreigner exclusion and anti-Asian sentiment. In addition, most of these informal markets specialize in fresh meat, seafood and other perishables in the outdoor environment, so there is little risk to human health or biodiversity.

Instead, policy makers need to target the most risky aspects of the market to reduce the risk of human health and biodiversity while preventing disruptions in the local food supply chain, researchers said. Claim in the journal Lancet Planetary HealthResearchers conclude that the market for selling live animals, especially live wildlife, poses the greatest risks to human health and biodiversity.

“The use of the term” wet market “has negative implications, especially in the light of COVID-19. I think this is partly caused by a misunderstanding of what these markets really are and how they can be meaningfully different Given this confusion, the term is academic and popular. In some literature, it is gradually being replaced by more specific terms, “said Bing Lin, the lead author of the study, a second-year PhD. A student of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs science, technology, and environmental policy programs. “Our research clarifies what a wet market is and shows exactly how risks can be considered and categorized.”

“Many countries have temporarily closed their wet markets in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but they don’t last long. Some will eventually open, others will be more strictly regulated or fully regulated. Some will be closed, “said the co-author of the study. David S. Wilcove, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Public Relations, High Meadows Institute for Environmental Studies, Core Faculty of Energy and Environmental Policy Research Center in Princeton. “Our work presents a way to know what is worth focusing on for tighter regulations and closures.”

Lynn and Wilcove started with the definition of a wet market, which sells consumer-oriented fresh food in non-supermarket environments. These markets are named after frequently wet floors. This is the result of regular cleaning to keep food stalls clean and melting ice to keep food fresh. The wildlife market, on the other hand, sells non-domesticated wildlife, and the live animal market sells live animals. The South China Seafood Wholesale Market, which is believed to be the possible cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, was a combination of the fresh market, the live animal market and the wildlife market.

To help policy makers distinguish between relatively benign and dangerous markets, Bing and his collaborators have worked with different types of markets, how they work, and how they work for people and wildlife. We analyzed the risks to the market. Next, we developed our own framework to identify key risks associated with these markets, such as size, cleanliness, whether we sell animals at high risk of disease, and the presence of living animals.

In the treatise, Lin and Wilcove used medical and peer-reviewed literature on the market from July to December 2020. They evaluated six specific risks that the informal market could pose to human health. Presence of live animals; Sanitation; Market size; Animal density and interspecies mix; Animal supply chain length and size. They also identified factors that pose a risk to biodiversity, such as the sale of endangered and declining wildlife species.

They report that many fresh markets around the world sell only processed livestock such as poultry. These include all markets in Singapore and Taiwan, as well as the US farmers market. A few markets sell livestock. Few people still sell wild animals, dead or alive, along with livestock and livestock meat. animal..

Comparing all of these Living animals It poses the greatest risk to human health and biodiversity, especially if they are sold raw Wild animals— Related to emerging infectious diseases. Researchers report that these are markets that policy makers should target when trying to mitigate future outbreaks of infectious diseases.

“Growing up in a big city in Indonesia, in the hustle and bustle of central Taiwan, we knew from experience that the composition and composition of the wet market was significantly different, and good policies were clear but subtle. It should be based on. Describes the different types of markets and the fluctuating risks associated with them. Although targeted risk-adjusted policies to mitigate the highest market risks are radical. We believe it is preferable to short-term changes that have no effect. “

Researchers emphasize that these markets are not the only ones responsible for the pandemic. Instead, they represent one node of potential zoonotic transmission along the global wildlife trading supply chain. They hope that future research will continue to quantify the risk factors posed by these markets, helping decision makers better protect human health and biodiversity.

The paper “Better classification of wet markets is the key to protection Human health And Biodiversity ”was published on June 10. Lancet Planetary Health..