The news that the federal government has cut funding for research into bat-derived diseases like the novel coronavirus is alarming to scientists studying the links between wild animals and human health. But as the COVID-19 pandemic shows, this research is more important than ever.
The Trump administration cut funding for the EcoHealth Alliance, which has been studying how coronaviruses spread from bats to humans, POLITICO reported.
Researchers say the decision to cut the long-standing program is “counterproductive,” sets “a horrible precedent,” and is possibly illegal political interference, according to Science Magazine.
We know this research is critically important, so we can get a handle on other viruses hanging out in bats—before they become pandemics, too. (EcoHealth Alliance’s Dr. William Karesh talked about this in a recent episode of the I AM BIO Podcast.)
And it’s equally important to continue studying zoonotic diseases from mosquitoes, monkeys, and birds, among other animals, because we have more and more contact with wild animals—and their diseases—as humans disrupt animals’ natural habitats.
Biotech can help on all fronts—from researching the origins of diseases before they touch humans, to finding ways to genetically modify animals like mosquitoes so we can live in harmony with them in nature without harm, as BIO’s Cornelia Poku explained in a recent blog post.
It all comes back to One Health, and the need for a regulatory structure that fosters research on links between human, animal, and environmental health, allowing us to foresee and prevent zoonotic disease tragedies such as COVID-19.
Learn more about how we can stop future outbreaks with One Health.
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