Wildlife

Welfare of Animals in Zoonotic Disease Spillover

Wildlife-to-human disease transmission events harm both human health and animal welfare, often triggering mass culling of wild and farmed animal populations.

Key Facts

COVID-19, SARS, Ebola, and avian influenza are all zoonotic diseases with wildlife origins
Mink farms in multiple countries were mass-culled during COVID-19 outbreak investigations
Avian influenza outbreaks have resulted in the culling of over 100 million poultry annually in recent years
Live animal markets with multiple species in close proximity facilitate disease spillover
Wildlife trafficking increases zoonotic risk by moving animals and pathogens across geographic barriers

Welfare Considerations

Zoonotic disease management creates welfare harms for animals at multiple points: wildlife in live markets experience confinement stress; farmed animal populations are mass culled when disease spillover is detected; and wild animals may be persecuted when identified as reservoir hosts. More humane approaches include disease surveillance that avoids mass culling, targeted testing rather than blanket eradication, and vaccination programs where available.

What You Can Do

Support WHO One Health programs integrating wildlife, farm animal, and human disease surveillance
Oppose live wildlife markets through consumer choices and advocacy with trade authorities
Donate to wildlife disease research programs developing vaccines for spillover-risk species
Advocate for humane culling methods when disease control requires lethal management