SHANGHAI — China and its neighbors must not only crack down on wildlife trade but also shut legal loopholes that allow disease-prone species to be farmed, experts said after an investigation team concluded that COVID-19 most likely originated in animals.
A World Health Organization-led study, published Tuesday, said it was “likely to very likely” that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused the global pandemic, was introduced to humans from bats via an intermediary species, with wildlife farming playing a crucial role.
Tong Yigang, a Chinese animal disease expert involved in the joint study, said the findings vindicated Beijing’s decision last year to ban trade in wildlife for huma…
Keep on reading: As WHO highlights COVID animal origins, China wildlife crackdown needs more teeth — experts