Trade in animals around the world is increasing rapidly. There are basically three groups of animals that are being transported both within countries and around the world: livestock and poultry, exotic animals, and wildlife.
Livestock and Poultry
With the expansion of Western-style diets to other parts of the world, the demand for animal protein has increased dramatically, much faster than the population itself. In other words, per capita meat consumption has increased. The graph displayed highlights that the United States has the second highest per capita consumption of meat, after Portugal while Ethiopia is one of the lowest consumers.
Aside from causing ecological harm, increased animal agriculture as well as the transport of it has led to the spread of zoonotic diseases. Animals raised in intensive agribusinesses provide optimal incubating conditions for the expansion of emerging zoonotic diseases, and transporting animals and meat then will spread the disease to other areas. Nipah virus is one example in which bats spread it to pigs that are then transported and consumed by people.
Exotic Animals
Both legal and illegal trade in wild animals is also increasing rapidly. In the US, imported exotic animals are primarily used for pets and zoos. The US also exports exotic animals. For example, prairie dogs are now protected in the US, but prior to 2003, the US exported approximately 15,000 prairie dogs per year to other countries. As they are wild animals, many people end up releasing them, thus increasing the chances of spreading or acquiring new diseases.
Annually, 1.9 million reptiles are imported into the US each year from 80 different countries, but on the flip side, the US exports 9-10 million reptiles per year. Such exchange of wild animals can lead to not only great habitat disruptions and predation of endemic species when people release them, but also potential transmission of diseases.
Wildlife
Recently, live animal trading markets and the consumption of bush meat have increased dramatically in some countries as well as the transport and trade. They are definitive sources of zoonotic diseases, such as SARS and Ebola viruses. SARS-CoV-2 is also a possibility, although there is no agreement on this.
