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As the French government protests against the UK’s decision to impose a quarantine on people coming from France, it is good to remember that this precautionary principle is also practiced in the animal kingdom.
Many animals live alone, except during their breeding season, to avoid the problems associated with living in a group. But others, who are more sociable, opt for radical strategies when diseases, even epidemics, come into play.
Honey bees
Honey-producing bees are known for their highly organized community life. They are also subject to certain diseases of bacterial origin. American foulbrood, for example, affects the larvae, which when infected, emit chemical signals recognizable by adults. If they notice that the larvae are sick, they will simply throw them away.
The chimpanzees
Primatologists have observed the phenomenon of ostracization towards a sick individual in groups of chimpanzees. If he survives the disease, he still has chances of being reinstated among his peers.
Lobsters
Thanks to their keen senses, lobsters are able to detect an individual with a deadly virus a month before symptoms of the disease appear. Therefore, in order to avoid viral multiplication, they proceed to avoidance as a rule without exception.
Mice
The phenomenon is reversed in these rodents. The group, yet capable of detecting their sick counterparts, does not carry out social eviction. The isolation comes from the sick mouse, which puts itself at a good distance from its congeners.
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