Story perspectives

Wildlife Trade Boosts Zoonotic Risk 50%, Calls for One Health

5/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

A 2026 Science study found traded mammals are 50 % more likely to carry zoonotic pathogens, and 41 % of the 2,079 species can transmit disease to humans versus 6.4 % of non-traded species.
Legal wildlife trade reached $220 billion in 2022, with illegal trade at $23 billion and decade in trade adding one human-infecting pathogen.
Researchers call for a One Health approach with biosurveillance and data sharing to curb spillover from live animal markets.

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Story summary

A 2026 Science study found traded mammals are 50 % more likely to carry zoonotic pathogens, and 41 % of the 2,079 species can transmit disease to humans versus 6.4 % of non-traded species.
Legal wildlife trade reached $220 billion in 2022, with illegal trade at $23 billion and decade in trade adding one human-infecting pathogen.
Researchers call for a One Health approach with biosurveillance and data sharing to curb spillover from live animal markets.