Is human activity creating a breeding ground for pandemics?

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Research led by The University of Western Australia has revealed that climate change, environmental degradation of land and human activity are creating a breeding ground for viruses such as COVID-19 and there may be an even deadlier pandemic on the horizon. While previous studies have pointed to these risks, scientists say COVID-19 has made it imperative to understand how critical it is to reduce human impacts on the environment – such as the consumption of products associated with increased deforestation and unsustainable agricultural practices – to prevent the occurrence of pandemics. Dr Kirsten Martinus from UWA’s Department of Geography and Planning said as the global population had rapidly increased in the past 50 years with humans encroaching further into areas of high biodiversity, so had the occurrence of diseases such as Ebola, SARS and COVID-19.