Cited by 180Wildlife Conservation and Criminology AnalysesZoonotic diseases and public healthWildlife Ecology and Conservation

Animal sales from Wuhan wet markets immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic

Open access
Xiao, Xiao, Newman, Chris, Buesching, Christina D., Macdonald, David W., Zhou, Zhao-Min·2021·Scientific Reports

Abstract

Here we document 47,381 individuals from 38 species, including 31 protected species sold between May 2017 and November 2019 in Wuhan’s markets. We note that no pangolins (or bats) were traded, supporting reformed opinion that pangolins were not likely the spillover host at the source of the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While we caution against the misattribution of COVID-19’s origins, the wild animals on sale in Wuhan suffered poor welfare and hygiene conditions and we detail a range of other zoonotic infections they can potentially vector. Nevertheless, in a precautionary response to COVID-19, China’s Ministries temporarily banned all wildlife trade on 26th Jan 2020 until the COVID-19 pandemic concludes, and permanently banned eating and trading terrestrial wild (non-livestock) animals for food on 24th Feb 2020. These interventions, intended to protect human health, redress previous trading and enforcement inconsistencies, and will have collateral benefits for global biodiversity conservation and animal welfare.

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  • The bat-to-intermediate-host-to-human pathway is plausible because many early known COVID-19 cases in Wuhan are linked to the Huanan Seafood Market, which sold animals such as raccoon dogs susceptible to SARS-related coronaviruses.

    “The other natural pathway is transmission from bats to an intermediate host mammal and then to a human.61 This pathway is plausible because many of the earliest known cases of COVID-19 in humans in Wuhan are associated with the Huanan Seafood Market, and this market sold animals such as raccoon dogs that are known to be susceptible to SARS-related coronaviruses.62”

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  1. [27]Meng, X. Re: Report on the implementation mentation of Resolution Conf. 12.5 (Rev. CoP16). (CITES Management Authority PRC, 2013).

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Authors
Xiao, X., Newman, C., Buesching, C. D., Macdonald, D. W., & Zhou, Z.-M.
Affiliations
  • China West Normal University (CN)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus (CA)
Corresponding author
Zhou, Zhao-Min
Venue
Scientific Reports
Published
2021-06-07
Volume
11
Issue
1
Pages
11898-11898
ISSN
2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3169828027
Cited by
180
References
30
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 78 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 1
FWCI
24.52
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • the H.N. Southern memorial Fellowship
  • the scientific research foundation of China West Normal University (16E013, 17BO10)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Wildlife Conservation and Criminology Analyses
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Zoonotic diseases and public health
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Keywords
wildlife trade, wet markets, Wuhan, COVID-19 pandemic, pangolins, bats, zoonoses, animal welfare, wildlife trade ban, biodiversity conservation
MeSH terms
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Pangolins, Animals, Animals, Wild, China, Chiroptera, Commerce, Humans, Zoonoses, Food Safety

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