Investigating Infectious Organisms of Public Health Concern Associated with Wild Meat

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Wildlife Ecology

Background:

• The wild meat trade is a significant global public health concern, acting as a conduit for zoonotic pathogen spillover.
• Activities like hunting, butchering, and consumption of wild animals create high-risk scenarios for disease transmission.
• Past epidemics such as SARS, Ebola, and COVID-19 have been linked to this trade, yet it persists globally.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and assess primary literature on zoonotic pathogens and infectious organisms associated with the wild meat trade.
• To identify pathogen diversity in wild meat, hunted animals, and humans exposed through high-risk activities.
• To inform policy development and future research directions regarding the health risks of the wild meat trade.

Main Methods:

• Systematic and critical assessment of primary literature published between 2000 and 2022.
• Analysis of 97 articles reporting on pathogen detection in wild meat, hunted animals, or exposed humans.
• Categorization of detected organisms into those with zoonotic potential, vectors, and contaminants.

Main Results:

• A total of 114 pathogen genera (15 viruses, 40 bacteria, 54 parasites, 5 fungi) were identified in 168 vertebrate species across 32 countries.
• 32% of reported genera in wild meat had zoonotic potential; 13 viral, 4 bacterial, and 1 parasitic genera were found in humans involved in the trade.
• Most studies utilized targeted pathogen detection (e.g., PCR, ELISA), with only one employing broad-spectrum metabarcoding, potentially limiting pathogen discovery.

Conclusions:

• The wild meat trade harbors a diverse range of infectious organisms with significant zoonotic potential, posing a substantial global health risk.
• Current research methodologies may overlook novel pathogens due to a reliance on targeted detection assays.
• The findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced law enforcement and research focus on the illegal wild meat trade to mitigate future epidemic risks.