Coronavirus: Watch out! There are more viruses in animals that could infect humans

There as many as 850,000 yet-undiscovered viruses in birds and mammals that could one day infect humans, said experts.

While the world is currently focussing on developing a vaccine for coronavirus, scientists have revealed that there are thousands of viruses in animals that could be transferred to humans in future.

An international team of 22 experts conducting a new study said that will we can expect worse pandemics to come in future if were don’t take action to protect wildlife.

According to a report in Mail Online, experts say that there has to be a shift and efforts must be made to prevent the emergence of zoonotic disease rather than just reacting to them with public health measures and developing new vaccines. Only such an approach will allow humankind to stop pandemics.

Scientists have underlined the need to end the exploitation of the environment, including deforestation, intensive agriculture and the trade/consumption of wild species, which has increased the contact between wildlife, livestock and people, the report said.

Taxes on meat and livestock production, curbing the wildlife trade, and improved conservation efforts are some of the measures recommended to the stop exploitation of resources.

The risks of viruses spreading rapidly are rising, with more than five new diseases emerging in humans every year. Some of them have the potential to become a pandemic. Viruses are transferred as large scale deforestation brings humans in close contact with animals, said, experts.

Without preventative measure, the frequency of pandemics will increase and spread, killing more people, and affecting the global economy with more devastating impact than before,' the report said.