Live and Wet Markets: Food Access versus the Risk of Disease Emergence

Mahmoud M Naguib; Ruiyun Li; Jiaxin Ling; Delia Grace; Hung Nguyen-Viet; Johanna F Lindahl

doi:10.1016/j.tim.2021.02.007

Live and Wet Markets: Food Access versus the Risk of Disease Emergence

Trends Microbiol. 2021 Jul;29(7):573-581. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.02.007. Epub 2021 Mar 9.

Authors

Mahmoud M Naguib¹, Ruiyun Li², Jiaxin Ling³, Delia Grace⁴, Hung Nguyen-Viet⁵, Johanna F Lindahl⁶

Affiliations

¹ Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala SE-75237, Sweden; Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Quality Control on Poultry Production, Animal Health Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Giza 12618, Egypt.
² MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, UK.
³ Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala SE-75237, Sweden.
⁴ International Livestock Research Institute, Department of Biosciences, Nairobi 00100, Kenya; Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK.
⁵ International Livestock Research Institute, Department of Biosciences, Nairobi 00100, Kenya; Centre for Public Health and Ecosystem Research (CENPHER), Hanoi University of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam.
⁶ Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala SE-75237, Sweden; International Livestock Research Institute, Department of Biosciences, Nairobi 00100, Kenya; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Clinical Sciences, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: Johanna.Lindahl@imbim.uu.se.

Abstract

Emerging zoonotic diseases exert a significant burden on human health and have considerable socioeconomic impact worldwide. In Asia, live animals as well as animal products are commonly sold in informal markets. The interaction of humans, live domestic animals for sale, food products, and wild and scavenging animals, creates a risk for emerging infectious diseases. Such markets have been in the spotlight as sources of zoonotic viruses, for example, avian influenza viruses and coronaviruses, Here, we bring data together on the global impact of live and wet markets on the emergence of zoonotic diseases. We discuss how benefits can be maximized and risks minimized and conclude that current regulations should be implemented or revised, to mitigate the risk of new diseases emerging in the future.

Keywords: EcoHealth; One Health; food security; live animal market; pandemics; wet market; zoonoses.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Asia
Birds / virology
COVID-19 / transmission
COVID-19 / virology
Commerce / legislation & jurisprudence
Commerce / methods
Commerce / standards*
Communicable Diseases, Emerging / etiology*
Communicable Diseases, Emerging / prevention & control
Communicable Diseases, Emerging / virology
Crowding
Food*
Humans
Influenza in Birds / transmission
Influenza in Birds / virology
Influenza, Human / virology
Orthomyxoviridae Infections / transmission*
Orthomyxoviridae Infections / virology
Zoonoses / classification
Zoonoses / transmission*
Zoonoses / virology