As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc Worldwide with scientists struggling to invent vaccines, experts have warned people to distance themselves from bushmeat and also stop activities that are degrading the environment. According to scientists the destruction of the environment has left some wild animals’ habitats totally destroyed, forcing them (wild animals) into communities and in areas occupied by livestock which has facilitated the spread of pathogens.
Dr. Gladys KalemaZikusoka the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Conservation through Public Health say the increased movement of wild animals into communities which was never the case in the past is because of the continued destruction of the environment through human activities like cutting down forests that host wild animals. Kalema said in some countries/communities people hunt down these wild animals for meat. “People have ended up eating what they were not supposed to eat and you can see where it has taken the world. People must avoid bush meat,” Kalema warned.
Bushmeat is common in areas that neighbor the National parks and natural forests where traditional hunters/poachers invade these areas to hunt for wild animals in search of meat. Kalema said, “We have to take care of our environment by looking at national parks and forests as not hunting grounds but as habitats for wild animals.”
About COVID-19;
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause disease in animals before they made the jump to humans. Covid-19 which is closely related to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) has swept around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an animal is the likely source of the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19.)
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also says COVID-19 is caused by a new coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a betacoronavirus, like MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. All three of these viruses have their origins in bats. The sequences from U.S. patients are similar to the one that China initially posted, suggesting a likely single, recent emergence of this virus from an animal reservoir.
Early on, many of the patients at the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China had some link to large seafood and live animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. Later, a growing number of patients reportedly did not have exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-person spread. Person-to-person spread was subsequently reported outside Hubei and in countries outside China, including in the United States. Most international destinations now have ongoing community spread with the virus that causes COVID-19, as does the United States. Community spread means some people have been infected and it is not known how or where they became exposed.
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