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The wildlife trade may be speeding up the next pandemic

The wildlife trade may be speeding up the next pandemic

60-Second Science vor 5 Monaten

New research shows the global wildlife trade is rapidly accelerating the spread of animal pathogens that can jump to humans

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In this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feltman talks with
Yale University epidemiologist Colin Carlson about new research
showing that the global wildlife trade is spreading dangerous
pathogens far faster than scientists once thought. The conversation
challenges the idea that pandemic risks are limited to distant “wet
markets,” revealing how everyday wildlife trade—from pet stores to
industrial farms—brings animals, people and diseases into close
contact. Carlson explains why a stronger investment in basic
science is critical to preventing the next COVID‑like pandemic.
Recommended Reading: “Wildlife trade drives animal-to-human
pathogen transmission over 40 years,” in Science, Vol. 392; April
9, 2026 How the wildlife trade boosts the chance of a disease
jumping from animals to humans E-mail us at
sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or
ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new everyday:
subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science,
our daily newsletter. Science Quickly is produced by Rachel
Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This
episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Shayna
Posses and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic
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