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And Then the Gorillas Started Coughing

The noises of nature sometimes carry broader meanings. The howl of a wolf signifies that wildness endures. The gronk of Canada geese moving south overhead reminds Americans to brace for winter. The sound of a coughing gorilla signals that Covid-19 is an even bigger problem than we thought.

Early last month, two gorillas started coughing at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, a compound of open-air enclosures for wild animals, an annex to the city zoo but separate, out in an arid valley just east of Escondido. These gorillas were among a group of eight residing amiably there, on a patch of artfully constructed habitat known as the Gorilla Forest.…  Seguir leyendo »

Axios Delta National Park near Thessaloniki in Greece. The park has four rivers and 295 bird species including pelicans, black-winged stilts, ducks and flamingos. The park is protected despite being located next to an industrial zone and the city which has a population of over 1,000,000 people. Photo: Getty Images

Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by diseases transmitted from animals. The current coronavirus outbreak is the latest to have taken place in recent years from the 1998 Nipah virus in Malaysia to the 2014 Ebola virus across West Africa.

Over the past decade, the World Health Organization has declared four global health emergencies and research reveals outbreaks are becoming more common. How do diseases transmit from animals to humans and why are we seeing an increase around the world?

Tim Benton: The fundamental job of pathogens throughout evolution has been to maximize their chances of infecting susceptible organisms.

Pathogens can live in lots of different host organisms and so they are continually looking for an opportunity to jump from one species to another.…  Seguir leyendo »