New Study: Wildlife Trade Fuels Pandemics. Take Action.

A new scientific report is sounding the alarm — and the stakes could not be higher.

A major study published in Science finds that the global wildlife trade is dramatically increasing the risk of dangerous diseases jumping from animals to humans. Researchers found that 41% of traded wild mammals carry diseases that can infect people, making this industry a major driver of future outbreaks.

We’ve seen how this story ends.

COVID-19, Ebola, HIV, and mpox have all been linked to human interactions with wild animals. Scientists warn that the wildlife trade — from hunting and transport to crowded markets — creates constant opportunities for viruses to spread and evolve.

And the risk is growing. The longer animals are traded, the more diseases they carry — increasing the chances of a deadly outbreak.

But beyond the threat to human health, the wildlife trade is also a crisis of cruelty. Wild animals are torn from their natural habitats, often enduring extreme stress, injury, and suffering as they are captured, confined, and transported across the globe. Many die before ever reaching their destination. Those who survive are frequently kept in inhumane conditions or sold into exploitative industries. This trade is not only dangerous — it is deeply inhumane.

Despite this clear threat, the U.S. government still lacks a coordinated strategy to monitor and control the wildlife trade. Meanwhile, the United States remains one of the world’s largest importers of wildlife products.

That’s unacceptable.

We need bold, urgent action to prevent the next pandemic before it starts.

The Trump Administration must take an all-of-government approach to combat the wildlife trade and protect public health.

That means:

    Cracking down on illegal wildlife trafficking

    Strengthening oversight of legal wildlife imports

    Expanding disease surveillance systems

    Coordinating action across agencies like the CDC, USDA, and the Interior Department

    Working with global partners to reduce high-risk wildlife markets

Public health experts are clear: many pandemics can be stopped before they begin — but only if governments act.

We cannot wait for the next crisis.

The wildlife trade is a ticking time bomb for global health — and a source of immense suffering for animals. If we fail to act now, we risk repeating the devastation of the past few years.

Please sign the petition: Tell the Trump Administration to act now to stop the wildlife trade and prevent the next pandemic.

The petition to the Trump administration reads: We call on your administration to take an all-of-government approach to combat the wildlife trade, which is fueling deadly disease outbreaks and causing immense animal suffering. Strengthen enforcement, expand disease surveillance, and work with global partners to reduce the prevalence of high-risk wildlife markets. Act now to protect both public health and wildlife before the next pandemic begins.
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Source:

Washington Post | Here’s how the wildlife trade is fueling disease outbreaks across the globe | https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2026/04/09/pandemic-disease-spread-wildlife-trade/