Intensive animal farming may increase the risk of future pandemics, a new study has found. The findings go against the conventional wisdom that industrialized farming reduces the risk of disease transmission between animals and humans.
Zoonotic diseases are those that are spread from animals to humans and are a major concern for public health. Scientists estimate that zoonotic infections account for three in every four new or emerging infectious diseases in humans, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The risks of emergence and transmission depend on multiple factors, including contact between humans and animals, and how we use land," Steve Hinchliffe, a professor at the University of Exeter in the UK, said in a statement.
"Livestock farming plays a potentially significant role in those risks, shaping landscapes and providing hosts that can act as the source or amplifiers of emerging pathogens."
The current bird flu outbreak in the U.S. is clear evidence of this, demonstrating how a disease originating in birds can jump to other animals, including cows and even humans.
Traditionally, intensive farming has been thought to minimize disease transmission between wild and captive animals. However, according to new research by Hinchliffe and his team, this perception is a "myth."
"These farms exist in the real world—so buildings and fences can get damaged, wildlife like rats or wild birds can get in, and workers move around," he said. "In short, there will always be accidents.
"Once social, economic and political factors are taken into account, the pandemic risk posed by intensive farming is concerning."
Another major cause for concern is the land clearance and resulting habitat disruption that is required to build many of intensive livestock facilities. This displaces wild animals from their homes and increases the likelihood that they will cross paths with humans and farm animals.
After a thorough, holistic analysis, the team conclude that the effects of intensifying agriculture are "are at best uncertain and at worst may contribute to emerging infectious disease risk."
Responding to their findings, co-author Kin Wing (Ray) Chan said: "We need to reconsider the sociocultural impacts of intensifying farm animal production on planetary health, environmental sustainability and animal welfare issues."
The full paper can be found in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
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