Scientists find over 100 viruses in China’s fur farms, raise alarm over possible human outbreaks | CPT PPP Coverage

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Scientists studying fur farms in China have discovered 125 viruses and have warned of the possibility of such places becoming hubs for human disease outbreaks.

In a new study published in the Nature journal, scientists reported that they studied 461 animals who died in China’s fur farms. They said they found 125 viruses among these animals. Of these viruses, they said 36 were new viruses and another 39 viruses carried a high risk of infecting humans.

China is the world’s biggest fur producer and a large number of farms breed animals such as raccoon dogs, mink, and muskrats for fur. These animals are often bred in unhygienic conditions and are often clubbed, which increases the risk of transmission of diseases between species. As humans handle these animals often without adequate safety measures, there is also a high risk of diseases jumping into humans and causing a disease outbreak among humans.

In their study, titled as ‘Farmed fur animals harbour viruses with zoonotic spillover potential’, the scientists found such cross-species transmission.

Scientists found that a novel canine respiratory coronavirus had jumped into raccoon dogs and a bat HKU5-like coronavirus had jumped to mink.

“These data also reveal potential virus transmission between farmed animals and wild animals, and from humans to farmed animals, indicating that fur farming represents an important transmission hub for viral zoonoses,” warned the scientists in the study.

The Humane Society International, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) advocating against fur-farming and other commercial activities related to animals, said the study should be a wake-up call for politicians “to stop us sleep-walking into another pandemic”.

Claire Bass, the Director of Global Fur Campaigns at the HSI, further said, “The results couldn’t be clearer, fur farms are a ticking time bomb for deadly infectious diseases, all for a completely outdated ‘fashion’ product that no-one needs. Governments that still permit fur farming, including in the EU and China, must stop playing Russian roulette with public health and bring bans into place. Countries trading in fur are fully complicit in this public health risk and must stop imports to help shut down this cruel and deadly industry.”