Whilst most of the world is
engaged in containing and preventing COVID-19, the coronavirus, infection, a
key question remains unanswered- identifying the original source of the
infection. Early investigations pointed to a fish market in Wuhan province in China,
which also traded in live wildlife. The hypothesis is that the infection arose from
animal X in the market that was traded in the market, a carrier of the virus (1).
The virus had jumped species and then infected humans. Scientists are
scrambling to identify the animal. Recently published research show that coronavirus
in pangolin, the scaly anteater, is 99% identical to that found in the humans (2,
3). Pangolins are prized in Chinese medicine to the extent that they are in the
brink of extinction (4,5). Amongst other wildlife traded in the infamous market
traded also were live pangolins and pangolin parts. However, researchers are unable
to prove conclusively that pangolins are the source of the infection. So the
quest continues.
COVID-19 outbreak is an example
of what happens when the finely tuned relationship between humans and wildlife
is jeopardized. We have repeatedly highlighted human wildlife conflict in the
pages of Ecoratorio(6,7) . Many animals, particularly wildlife are reservoirs of
viruses and have co-existed in this manner for ages. However, when humans upset
the fragile balance by encroaching the habitats of the wildlife which make either
party enter the abode of the other, or when wildlife/wildlife parts are traded,
these zoonotic viruses can infect humans. Regardless of whether pangolins are
the source of the COVID 19 infection, the outbreak yet again points to the persistent
sore that has remained untreated-wildlife trade. Indisputably, there are environmental
and ethical reasons why wildlife must be respected. A blanket ban on trading
wildlife should be enforced, not only on the trade of wildlife animals for
consumption but also on their use in traditional medicine. Similarly,
encroachment into wildlife habitats and deforestation should be prevented. Otherwise,
calamitous consequences like the current COVID 19 would be commonplace.
References
3. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00548-w
5 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2019/06/pangolins-poached-for-scales-used-in-chinese-medicine/
6. http://ecoratorio.blogspot.com/2011/07/fine-line.html
7. http://ecoratorio.blogspot.com/search?q=virus