Moving away from meat diets

Sir, – As the World Health Organization has confirmed that we’re in the midst of a pandemic, in addition to taking NHS-advised steps to safeguard our own health, it’s time we faced the link between outbreaks of diseases like Covid-19 and humanity’s appetite for flesh.

Human demand for meat means that huge

numbers of animals, such as chickens and pigs, are crammed together on crowded, faeces-ridden farms, transported in filthy lorries, and slaughtered on killing floors soaked with blood, urine, and other bodily fluids.

Pathogens flourish in such conditions, making factory farms a breeding ground for new strains of dangerous bacteria and viruses.

Public health experts believe that Covid-19

originated at a liveanimal market, and according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 75% of emerging diseases originate in animals.

In this way, Covid-19 is similar to the other infamous outbreaks caused by coronaviruses: severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) – all three spread from animals to humans.

Likewise, swine flu originated in pigs and bird flu in chickens.

The best way to prevent future pandemics is for society to shift away from animal agriculture.

We can do this by avoiding meat like the plague and instead opting for healthy, humane vegan meals.

Dr Samantha Saunders. Research Associate, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.