The wild animal market of Wuhan, epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic, is now world famous. Bats and pangolins sold there are, according to several scientific studies, the sources of transmission of the new coronavirus to humans.
China has therefore decided to ban the trade in and consumption of wild animals, very popular despite international conventions. In the future, to try to limit the transmission of a new virus from animals to humans, will it be necessary to strengthen market controls, or even introduce a “health court” international ? We have collected the opinion of Belgian scientists.
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From the bat to the pangolin … Then to the man
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, several studies have been published on the origins of this new coronavirus. According to Professor of virology and researcher at UCLouvain Jean Ruelle: “It is very clear that the bat is a reservoir of several coronaviruses. ”
According to a recent study, the genomes of Covid-19 and those circulating in this animal are 96% identical. But the virus bald–mouse is not equipped to attach to human receptors. The bat is therefore probably what is called an animal “tank”, that is to say an animal which harbors the virus without being sick, but which transmits it to one or more species.
“Then the researchers tried to discover the possible transmission path. After analysis, it appears that the pangolin is what is called a probable intermediate host”. The pangolin is a small mammal with scales in danger of extinction. Its delicate flesh is highly prized by Chinese and Vietnamese gourmets, as are their scales, their bones and their organs by traditional Asian medicine.
ATAfter having tested a thousand samples from wild animals, scientists have determined that the virus sequence genomes taken from pangolins were 99% identical to those found in patients with the new coronavirus. “Les scientific studies meet on this point, so this becomes a probab hypothesisthe. In addition to this genetic data, there are a lot of presumptions about the presence of the animal on the markets. ”
The coronavirus was spotted in December at an animal market in Wuhan (China’s epicenter of the pandemic). Many Chinese experts therefore believe that this Wuhan market is the starting point for the new coronavirus.
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© AFP
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China “completely” bans trade in wild animals …
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End of February 2020, China announced to ban “completely” and immediately trade and consumption of wild animals, since the practice was now strongly suspected in the spread of the new coronavirus.
… But for how long ?
This trade in wild animals was also banned during the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) crisis in 2002-2003, a coronavirus whose transmission had also been implicated in the consumption of wild animals.
But he quickly resumed. Animal rights activists therefore accuse China of having tolerated a hidden trade in exotic animals used for cooking or traditional medicine for too long.
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These animal markets are “an explosive cocktail”
Wild and domestic animal markets exist all over the world. But in Asia, “The peculiarity is that the species on the markets are many and varied. It is culturally rooted, there is a taste for it. In these markets, there is therefore a mixture which promotes events such as the emergence of the Covid-19 ” explains UCLouvain Professor of medical geography Sophie Vanwambeke. “China, moreover, is distinguished by the gigantism of its size and its population. By this aspect” volume, it is therefore a territory particularly at risk compared to other regions in the world. “
In addition, according to the Professor, Asians have a “preference for meat that comes from a recently slaughtered animal: a few hours or minutes before purchase. The animals are alive in the market until the last moment. This promotes the circulation of pathogens.”
The animals are alive in the market until the last moment. This promotes the circulation of pathogens.
But these markets are just the tip of the iceberg. Today, human activities increasingly give the possibility of viruses to multiply: “When we encroach on natural environments for agriculture and urbanization, when we place farms on the roads of migratory birds, or when we walk in forests, these are all human activities that result in interfere with the functioning of ecosystems “. As a result, in some cases, viruses find a way to migrate to a domestic species or to humans. This is a normal multiplication process, but which is aggravated by a global phenomenon of human encroachment on natural areas according to Professor Vanwambeke. “In most parts of Europe, there are humans everywhere. This is one of the reasons why bird flu is very closely watched and there is a lot of research into tick-borne diseases.” In other regions of the world, the cocktail is even more harmful: environmental changes, abundant biodiversity, significant encroachments. “This is what causes events like SARS and Covid-19. For Ebola, for example, in West Africa, the cocktail was very bad: difficult health and political circumstances, coupled with the consumption of bushmeat. “
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Punish wild animal markets?
In order to limit the occurrence of another virus transmitted from animal to man in the future, should we therefore better regulate the markets for wild and domestic animals? In an interview with France Culture, Doctor Didier Sicard, specialist in infectious diseases and professor emeritus at Sorbonne University, is worried by “indifference” in this crisis about the starting point of the Covid-19.
Some kind of international health tribunal should be created
The Professor believes that more needs to be done with regard to surveillance and sanctions relating to trafficking in wild animals. In theory, an international convention governs sales, but “In China, in particular, this international convention is not respected. We should create a kind of international health tribunal. It is clear that if we ask each country to organize nationally, nothing will change.”
According to him, it’s a whole culture that needs to be challenged in many parts of the world “In Laos, in the countryside, there are many markets where wild animals are sold like chickens or rabbits. In general indifference, because it is the local culture. However the culture is the most difficult thing to evolve in a country. “
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A health court: really useful?
The Belgian researchers we interviewed on the subject are more nuanced. For virologist Jean Ruelle, the idea of a court is not bad, “But it depends on what we put in it, if the court does not involve the countries concerned, it is useless. The goal is to track down practices, but above all, to confront States with their responsibilities, otherwise it is counterproductive. A fortiori if we mobilize medical specialists, who would therefore not be available for other missions. ”
For the specialist, the objective is above all that international conventions are respected by allowing and allowing violators to return to legality.
According to Professor Sophie Vanwambeke, “Thinking about a health court is only useful if we also ask ourselves the following question: why do these markets exist?”
And more broadly, “Beyond the cliché of the Chinese meat consumer, what is the role of these markets as a source of income for sellers and producers? Is this crucial for their own economic survival?”
The burning question is: in which direction and how should the production and food system be redirected? With what consequences for producers? The specialists agree on this point, we must ask the question now.
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