Transmission of pathogens from
Transmission of pathogens from animals to humans typicallyoccurs in situations where humans are consuming bushmeat, illegallytrading endangered animals, and/or entering into wild habitats. Whyis an understanding of animal diversity and issues of animaltrafficking critical not only for the conservation and preservationof animals and natural habitats, but also essential for globalhuman health? Discuss this in terms of COVID 19, Ebola, and AIDS.In your answer include information on the following: a) Whatvertebrates are believed to be implicated as the source in COVID 19and Ebola? Do we know which species/family/order is involved? Ifso, name the species/family/order. How has/is our lack of knowledgesurrounding animal diversity limiting our ability to identify thesource of these pathogens? b) For COVID 19, I mentioned duringlecture that researchers suspect that the pangolin might be anintermediary in the transmission of this virus. What is a pangolin?In describing it, provide some information on where it lives, whatfamily it belongs to, its current situation in the illegal animaltrade and why it is believed to be a possible link in transmission.c) What vertebrate is believed to be the source of the virusresponsible for AIDS? When, where and how did the virus make thejump to humans?
Answer:
COVID 19 belongs to the coronavirus family (Family of RNA viruses). It is believed that somestrains of corona virus are zoonotic which means they spread fromanimals to human beings.
In continuation to this, COVID -19was earlier thought to be spreading from bats as their geneticsequence data show presence of virus strain similar to that ofCOVID. But there are no enough scientific evidence to identify thesource or original route of transmission to humans
Recently, it was found that the RNAtraces obtained from genetic sequences of pangolin have higherpercentage of similarity to the COVID -19 virus than that of virusshowing that both virus and pangolin are intermediate species inthe chain of transmission.
As per world bank, Pangolin is themost trafficked mammal and the current pandemic situation isbecause of this only. Pangolins are natives of Asia and Africa andeven being a wild species is hunted for its meat and some medicalapplications.
With the current global scenario,it became clear that poaching of animals like pangolin is more thanthe threat of extinction.
Likewise, a virus named lentiviruswhich is found in chimpanzeesand gorillas is geneticallysimilar to the HIV virus causing AIDS in human. It is now believedthat practice of hunting, butchering, and eating the meat ofchimpanzees might have caused the transmission of this virus tohumans in early 19 or 20th century
Like HIV and COVID 19, EBOLA toospreads from fruit bat, severalmonkey species, chimpanzees, gorillas, baboons, andduikers.
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