Wildlife trade drives animal-to-human pathogen transmission over 40 years

Science 2026 Open access

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Authors: Jérôme M. W. Gippet, Colin J. Carlson, Tristan Klaftenberger, Mattéo Schweizer, Evan A. Eskew, Meredith L. Gore, Cléo Bertelsmeier
DOI: 10.1126/science.adw5518
Cited by: 4

Abstract

The wildlife trade affects a quarter of terrestrial vertebrates and creates opportunities for cross-species pathogen transmission, but its precise role in shaping animal-human pathogen exchange remains unclear. In our analysis of 40 years of global wildlife trade data, we show that traded mammals are 1.5-fold as likely to share pathogens with humans as nontraded mammals, and that illegal and live-animal trade further exacerbate pathogen sharing. Time spent in trade predicts the number of zoonotic pathogens that a wildlife species hosts. On average, a species shares an additional pathogen with humans for every 10 years it is traded.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Zoonotic diseases and public health Yersinia bacterium plague ectoparasites research Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology

Publication details

Journal / source
Science
Volume
392
Issue
6794
Pages
178–182
Publication date
9 April 2026
Language
EN