Wildlife trade increases pathogen transmission: What 40 years of data say about spillover
Why it matters: Each decade of wildlife trade adds a new pathogen, raising infection risk for roughly 25 % of mammal species.
- University of Lausanne and U.S. partners quantified wildlife trade's role in pathogen spillover using 40 years of import‑export data.
- Traded wild mammals are 50 % more likely to share at least one virus, bacterium, fungus or parasite with humans than non‑traded species.
- Illegal or live trade further amplifies transmission risk compared with product‑only trade.
- Time in market matters: every ten years a species remains in trade correlates with one extra human‑shared pathogen.
A 40‑year analysis by the University of Lausanne and U.S. collaborators shows that mammals traded internationally are 1.5 times more likely to share pathogens with humans, with risk rising for illegal, live trade and each additional decade on the market adding another disease.
