{"id":2673,"date":"2024-07-17T13:20:04","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T13:20:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=2673"},"modified":"2025-03-24T13:48:24","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T13:48:24","slug":"intensive-farming-linked-to-rising-pandemic-risks-new-study-reveals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/intensive-farming-linked-to-rising-pandemic-risks-new-study-reveals\/","title":{"rendered":"Intensive Farming Linked to Rising Pandemic Risks, New Study Reveals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A study led by the University of Exeter uncovers that intensive livestock farming may increase the risk of emerging pandemics, emphasizing the need to consider social, economic and political factors in disease risk assessments.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Intensive livestock farming might elevate the risk of new pandemics, researchers from the University of Exeter have found. Traditionally, industrial farming has been believed to reduce zoonotic disease risks due to better control and biosecurity measures. However, the new <a href=\"https:\/\/royalsocietypublishing.org\/doi\/10.1098\/rsos.231709\" title=\"\">study<\/a> reveals that social and economic factors, often overlooked in traditional assessments, may significantly influence disease emergence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The research, led by Steve Hinchliffe, a professor of geography at the University of Exeter, sheds light on the multifaceted risks associated with intensive livestock farming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe COVID-19 pandemic reignited interest in EIDs, especially zoonotic viruses. The risks of emergence and transmission depend on multiple factors, including contact between humans and animals, and how we use land,&#8221; Hinchliffe said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/news.exeter.ac.uk\/faculty-of-environment-science-and-economy\/intensive-farming-could-raise-risk-of-new-pandemics\" title=\"\">news release<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLivestock 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,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While most assessments focus on microbiological, ecological and veterinary sciences, this study underscores the importance of incorporating social, economic and political dynamics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Disease is always more than a matter of pathogen transmission, contact and contagion,&#8221; Hinchliffe added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study identifies that despite the intention to separate livestock from wildlife, real-world conditions often lead to breaches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;[T]hese farms exist in the real world \u2013 so buildings and fences can get damaged, wildlife like rats or wild birds can get in, and workers move around. In short, there will always be accidents,&#8221; said Hinchliffe. &#8220;Once social, economic and political factors are taken into account, the pandemic risk posed by intensive farming is concerning.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The research emphasizes the environmental degradation and &#8220;mixed landscapes&#8221; driven by agricultural intensification as significant contributors to emerging infectious disease (EID) risks. It points out that varied farming practices create a precarious scenario for disease proliferation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In terms of biosecurity, the findings suggest that economic constraints and regional variations in farm infrastructure present challenges. European farms, for instance, may have old and costly-to-maintain buildings, while large U.S. farms often use open-air structures that aren&#8217;t fully bio-contained. Subtropical farms balance biosecurity with the need to prevent animal overheating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreover, the study raises concerns about the close ties between large food companies and national authorities, hinting at potential \u201cregulatory capture\u201d and challenges in separating interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIncreasing on-farm biosecurity, standardization and efficiency in farm animal production is not the panacea for achieving a disease-free environment,\u201d Kin Wing (Ray) Chan, co-author and Wellcome Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, said in the news release. \u201cRather, we need to reconsider the socio-cultural impacts of intensifying farm animal production on planetary health, environmental sustainability and animal welfare issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Intensive livestock farming might elevate the risk of new pandemics, researchers from the University of Exeter have found. Traditionally, industrial farming has been believed to reduce zoonotic disease risks due to better control and biosecurity measures. However, the new study reveals that social and economic factors, often overlooked in traditional assessments, may significantly influence disease [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-climate-and-environment","category-sustainability"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Intensive livestock farming might elevate the risk of new pandemics, researchers from the University of Exeter have found. Traditionally, industrial farming has been believed to reduce zoonotic disease risks due to better control and biosecurity measures. However, the new study reveals that social and economic factors, often overlooked in traditional assessments, may significantly influence disease&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2673"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2673\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2717,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2673\/revisions\/2717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}