Factory farming, the global wildlife trade, climate change, and animal entertainment venues all contribute to the spread of zoonotic diseases. Discover the dangers of zoonoses and how protecting animals can help prevent the next pandemic.
Imagine a world where a selfie with a tiger, a swim with a dolphin, or simply being a farmworker on a factory farm could unleash the next pandemic. Sound extreme? It’s not. This is the harsh reality of zoonotic diseases—infections that jump from animals to humans—and how our exploitation of animals fuels them.
From factory farms to the wildlife trade and animal entertainment venues, our broken relationship with animals isn’t just cruel—it’s dangerous.
What Is a Zoonotic Disease?
A zoonotic disease, also known as zoonosis (plural: zoonoses), is a disease that spreads between animals and humans. According to the CDC, over 60% of known infectious diseases in people are zoonotic, and three out of every four new or emerging infectious diseases in people come from animals.
Some common zoonotic diseases include:
These aren’t rare illnesses—they’re examples of zoonotic diseases that have changed global health forever.
So what’s fueling their rise? Let’s dive into how our current systems put us all at risk.
Mink Farms: The Breeding Grounds for the Next Pandemic?
Wildlife farming—particularly mink farming—has emerged as a terrifying hotbed for zoonoses. In 2020, mink on farms in Europe and the US contracted COVID-19 from humans, only for the virus to mutate and jump back to humans in a new form.
Let that sink in: we created an unnatural, confined system to exploit mink for fur—and in doing so, created a viral echo chamber.
Tens of thousands of mink were culled to contain outbreaks, and entire farms were shut down. But this isn’t just about one species. When we confine wild animals in unnatural, stressful, and unsanitary conditions, we create the perfect recipe for zoonotic disease.
When Animal Entertainment Becomes a Health Hazard
Swimming with dolphins? Hugging a sloth? Bathing an elephant? These experiences may seem harmless or even magical, but the risk of zoonotic disease is hidden beneath the surface.
- Dolphins, held in small chlorinated tanks, are often exposed to and carry bacteria like E. coli, salmonella, and Brucella, all of which can infect humans.
- Elephants forced to give rides or interact with tourists may be infected with tuberculosis, a zoonosis that has already spread from elephants to humans in the US and other countries.
These animals are stressed, over-handled, and often immunocompromised, making them prime carriers for disease.
The more we interact closely with wild animals in captivity, the more we increase the risk of another zoonotic outbreak.
The Reptile Trade: A Cold-Blooded Threat
Whether legal or illegal, the reptile trade is a silent but serious contributor to the spread of zoonotic diseases.
Reptiles like snakes, turtles, and lizards are common carriers of salmonella, and outbreaks in humans—especially children—have been traced back to handling or even being near these animals.
But it doesn’t stop at salmonella. Imported reptiles may carry novel pathogens we’re not equipped to detect or treat, and because many are smuggled illegally, they bypass health screenings entirely.
Bringing wild animals into our homes or markets, no matter how “cool” it seems, is a direct line to dangerous disease and is making us sick.
Factory Farms: Zoonoses on an Industrial Scale
If you’re looking for the epicenter of zoonotic disease risk, look no further than factory farms.
Billions of animals are raised in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, creating the perfect environment for viruses and bacteria to mutate and spread. These farms are linked to outbreaks of E. coli, salmonella, swine flu, and more.
The overuse of antibiotics on these farms—used to keep animals alive in hellish conditions—has led to antimicrobial resistance, making it harder to treat zoonotic infections in humans.
Factory farming isn’t just an animal protection issue—it’s a global health emergency.
Bird Flu: A Zoonotic Disease That’s Already Killing Wildlife
Avian influenza (H5N1) is a zoonotic disease that’s rapidly spreading across the globe. It has devastated wild bird populations, led factory farms to kill and dispose of millions of chickens, and recently, infected mammals, including sea lions, bears, and even domestic cats.
Worse? There have already been confirmed human cases. While it hasn’t mutated to allow easy human-to-human spread yet, experts warn we’re dangerously close to another pandemic scenario.
Bird flu is proof of how we treat animals—especially on farms—has direct, deadly consequences for public health.
Climate Change: Fueling the Spread of Zoonotic Diseases
As the planet warms, we’re not just seeing melting ice caps and rising sea levels—we’re also seeing the spread of zoonotic diseases accelerate. Climate change disrupts ecosystems and alters the natural behaviors of both animals and humans, creating the perfect conditions for zoonoses to emerge and spread.
How Climate Change Contributes
- Shifting Habitats and Migration Patterns: As temperatures rise, many animals, including mosquitoes, bats, and rodents, are migrating to new areas. These species can carry diseases like malaria, Zika virus, and Lyme disease, which are now finding their way into previously unaffected regions. In particular, warmer temperatures and changing rainfall patterns encourage disease-carrying insects to move into new habitats where humans have little immunity to the diseases they carry.
- Encroachment on Wildlife Habitats: Human activity, particularly those that intensively extract and exploit resources, is pushing humans and wildlife into closer proximity. Whether it’s deforestation or urban expansion, this increased interaction means more opportunities for diseases to jump from animals to humans. This is particularly dangerous for species that carry diseases naturally, like bats, which are known hosts for coronaviruses.
- Food Systems and Farmed Animals: As climate change impacts food security, meat companies are pushing for increasing animal agriculture under the false pretense that it is the best way to fill nutritional gaps. The intention is primarily to expand factory farming and increase profits. Factory farms are stressful, crowded environments for animals, and the overuse of antibiotics in factory farming is known to exacerbate antibiotic resistant infections and—increase the risk of diseases crossing over from farmed animals to humans.
What Does This Mean for Zoonoses?
With these factors in play, we’re witnessing zoonotic diseases becoming more common, more widespread, and harder to control. The more we disturb the balance between humans, wildlife, and the environment and ignore how our well-being is interconnected, the more we risk triggering the next health crisis.
By addressing climate change and ending our exploitation of animals, we can lower the risk of zoonotic disease transmission and create a healthier, more sustainable future for both animals and humans.
We Can Prevent the Next Pandemic—By Protecting Animals
The connection is clear: zoonotic diseases thrive where animals suffer. Whether it's a mink farm, a dolphin tank, a reptile expo, or an industrial pig farm, the story is the same—unnatural conditions and exploitation create danger.
We can’t afford to ignore it.
End factory farming. Ban the global wildlife trade. Say no to animal entertainment. Protect animals in the wild, where they belong. When we protect animals, we protect ourselves.
Want to learn more about how you can take action to protect animals and stop the next pandemic before it starts? Join World Animal Protection’s FREE online community to drive change for animals—and become an Animal Champion today!