Welfare of Animals in Zoonotic Disease Research

Research on zoonotic diseases uses animal models to understand transmission, pathogenesis, and treatment. The welfare implications are particularly acute given the human health benefits at stake.

Key Facts

COVID-19 research used ferrets, hamsters, macaques, and transgenic mice as animal models during the pandemic
Biosafety Level 3 and 4 research involving dangerous pathogens imposes constraints on animal welfare monitoring
Ferrets are a preferred influenza model because of their similar respiratory tract to humans
Zoonotic disease research often involves deliberately infecting animals with pathogens causing significant suffering
Some zoonotic pathogens are increasingly studied through organoid and lung-on-chip systems that reduce animal use

Welfare Considerations

Zoonotic disease research welfare involves genuinely difficult ethical territory: experiments that deliberately infect animals with pathogens causing significant suffering have produced knowledge essential to human pandemic response. COVID-19 research used animal models to test vaccine candidates and understand transmission. The welfare obligations are clear: maximize use of alternatives before animal use, use the least sentient species where scientifically valid, minimize suffering through analgesics consistent with research validity, and maintain post-study welfare monitoring. The emergence of organ-on-chip and advanced organoid systems is beginning to replace some animal models in infectious disease research.

What You Can Do

Support funding for organoid and organ-on-chip alternatives to animal models in infectious disease research
Advocate for 3Rs application as rigorously in zoonotic disease research as in pharmaceutical research
Recognize genuine human health benefits of some animal research while supporting welfare improvement
Engage with biosafety laboratory welfare standards as an area requiring specific oversight
Follow developments in alternative models for infectious disease research