Scientists call for pandemic investigations to focus on wildlife trade

Scientists call for pandemic investigations to focus on wildlife trade

Mission to trace COVID-19’s animal origin

The World Health Organization is sending scientists to China this weekend to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak. “It will be the first, unbiased effort to communicate with Chinese scientists and public-health leaders on this very sensitive and politicized issue,” says zoologist Peter Daszak, the president of EcoHealth Alliance in New York City. Researchers have urged investigators to focus on activities linked to the wildlife trade, keep open minds and look beyond national borders. Most researchers agree that SARS-CoV-2 probably originated in horseshoe bats, but the route it took to get to humans remains a mystery.
Nature | 5 min read