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6 February, 2026, 11:25 pm
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Coronavirus: Fear over rise in animal-to-human diseases

Coronavirus: Fear over rise in animal-to-human diseases

By Naveel Krishant
07/07/2020
A lone man and a cow are seen by a submerged house after a dam collapse in Minas Gerais, Brazil - Photo: AFP January 2019

UN experts have warned that Zoonotic diseases - which jump from animals to humans - are increasing and will continue to do so without action to protect wildlife and preserve the environment.

They blame the rise in diseases such as Covid-19 on high demand for animal protein, unsustainable agricultural practices and climate change.

They say neglected zoonotic diseases kill two million people a year.

Bat

COVID-19 is set to cost the global economy US $9tn over two years.

Ebola, West Nile virus and Sars are also all zoonotic diseases: they started in animals, and made the jump to humans.

[Source: BBC]

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