COVID-19 Disease Ecology Global Health

Is COVID-19 infecting wild animals? We’re testing species from bats to seals to find out

By Jonathan Runstadler, Tufts University and Kaitlin Sawatzki, Tufts University Cover image: Peter Trimming via Wikipedia, CC BY-SA Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have found coronavirus infections in pet cats and dogs and in multiple zoo animals, including big cats and gorillas. These infections have even happened when staff were using personal […]

COVID-19 Disease Ecology Global Health

As Covid-19 Crisis Continues, UNEP and Global Partners Release 10-Point Plan to Prevent the Next Pandemic

“The science is clear that if we keep exploiting wildlife and destroying our ecosystems, then we can expect to see a steady stream of these diseases jumping from animals to humans in the years ahead.” By Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams “Climate change is a force of growing importance that influences the future geographic distribution and […]

Disease Ecology Global Health

Why do bats get blamed for spillovers so often?

By Efstathia Robakis As the COVID-19* pandemic continues to unfold, scientists are scrambling to answer old questions as new ones continue to arise. Though it doesn’t seem pressing now, given the urgency of so many other real and immediate issues related to the virus’ stranglehold on the world, the question of the virus’ origins is […]

Disease Ecology Global Health Wildlife Trafficking

Conservationists set the record straight on COVID-19’s wildlife links

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been characterized by the World Health Organization as a pandemic. As the virus spreads, so too does misinformation about its origins. Rumors that COVID-19 was manufactured in a lab or that we know with full certainty which animal host passed the disease to humans are unfounded. Given the clear […]