Deadly Companions: Animal Microbes Pose Threats of Future Pandemics
Professor Crawford highlighted a consignment of giant Gambian rats, which were flown from Ghana into the U.S. as exotic pets. The rats carried monkeypox virus, which transferred to prairie dogs that were sold in the same pet shop. The prairie dogs then passed the disease to their human buyers. The chain of infection was only terminated after the microbe had infected 71 people. In another instance, crocodiles being farmed in Papua New Guinea to provide luxury items for the West had been infected by a virus from wild pig meat, which crossed to their keeper.
