An investigation of five fur farms in China housing foxes, raccoon dogs and mink found a high risk of diseases developing that could jump from animals to humans, said animal protection group Humane Society International who conducted the study at the end of 2023.
The farms in China’s northern Hebei and Liaoning provinces each held between 2,000 and 4,000 animals in intensive conditions, including in close proximity to poultry, HSI said.
Alastair MacMillan, a visiting professor at Surrey University’s Veterinary School, said the high stocking density of the animals facilitates the rapid spread of viruses on droplets from one to another, and potentially to humans.
“The rapid circulation and mixing of different strains of virus from animal to animal facilitates their adaption to a mammalian host, the development of mutant strains of concern and a greater likelihood of a threat of human infection.”
and in the west we have mink farms (europe) and mass swine and chicken farms, we also have (particularly in the Americas?) have industrial farming of beef/milk. All have the potential (and have done in the past) to do the same fast spread and interspecies transmission of diseases.
This strikes as a little anti China/Asia and ‘think of the poor foxes and dogs’ as why are not ‘western’ things to farm
People don’t want to admit it, but going vegan/vegetarian is a HUGE way to avoid zoonotic diseases in the future. Anywhere that groups of humans and groups of animals closely co-mingle is a risk factor.
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and in the west we have mink farms (europe) and mass swine and chicken farms, we also have (particularly in the Americas?) have industrial farming of beef/milk. All have the potential (and have done in the past) to do the same fast spread and interspecies transmission of diseases.
This strikes as a little anti China/Asia and ‘think of the poor foxes and dogs’ as why are not ‘western’ things to farm
People don’t want to admit it, but going vegan/vegetarian is a HUGE way to avoid zoonotic diseases in the future. Anywhere that groups of humans and groups of animals closely co-mingle is a risk factor.
This.
Cue cries of ‘But bacun!’
We are generally vegetarian/peciterian at home, except when we get given free wild venison (a pest species here in NZ)
“But-but what about x???” - Every time something critical of China is posted. Cope tankie.