Improving animal welfare in farming and wildlife trade can reduce the risk of zoonotic disease emergence, linking animal welfare to human health protection.
The connection between animal welfare and pandemic prevention was brought into sharp focus by COVID-19. Intensive animal agriculture and wildlife markets create conditions where novel pathogens can emerge, amplify, and spill over to humans. Animals crowded in stressful conditions have impaired immune function, are more susceptible to infection, and shed more pathogen when infected. Reforming these industries to improve welfare - more space, lower stress, better hygiene - directly reduces pandemic risk. This creates a powerful alignment between animal welfare advocacy and public health goals.