Fig. 2.

SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Intra-species and inter-species dissemination of coronavirus. Initial hosts include bats, birds, and rats. COVID-19 is a member of the B lineage in the beta-coronavirus family, of which SARS-CoV-1 also descended. The WHO has characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. As the virus spreads, so too does misinformation about its origins. The World Health Organization has categorized COVID-19 as a pandemic considering its spread far and wide. The spread of zoonotic disease from species that it evolved with to a new host is exacerbated by wildlife trafficking, habitat destruction, and climate change. These threats bring humans and animals closer together. Coronavirus is just an example of a string of pathogens that have come from wildlife trafficking, including SARS, Ebola, Bird Flu, and many more. In the case of wildlife trafficking and poaching, animals are hunted, trapped, and taken to markets to be sold for traditional medicine, food, and the pet trade. The wild animals can harbor diseases that can make other animals, including humans, sick. Wildlife trade markets facilitate viral transmission. They allow multiple species to be in proximity that otherwise would not come into prolonged contact with one another, which could be a factor for virulent strains of pathogens spreading to humans. Additionally, human capture of wildlife and incursion into natural wildlife habitats allow viruses to jump the species barrier. Addressing the legal trade and illegal trafficking of wild animals will help to stop the spread of zoonotic pathogens. Closing wildlife markets and controlling wildlife poaching would forestall the spread of zoonotic pathogens while also addressing a significant driver of species annihilation. China has recently shut all of its wild-life animal markets and this step has been applauded globally