WHO Calls for Halt to Sale of Live Wild Mammals in Markets

The World Health Organization and two other global agencies called on countries Tuesday to consider suspending the sale of live, wild mammals in food markets to prevent the spread of emerging infectious diseases in humans. 

In addition to the WHO, the World Organization for Animal Health and the United Nations Environment Program warned the mammals may be the source of more than 70% of such diseases. Their recommendations to help ensure the safety and sustainability of the international food system comes after the WHO led a mission to Wuhan, China, to investigate the origin of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The team of investigators who visited Wuhan’s Huanan market, where the first human COVID-19 infections were identified, said the new coronavirus was likely spread from bats to humans through another animal.