US Vulnerable to Deadly COVID-Style Pandemic, Report Warns

A report from Harvard Law School and New York University warns that the next global pandemic could originate from the United States due to loose regulations and frequent interactions between humans, livestock, and wild animals. The report highlights areas of vulnerability, including commercial farms with close contact between millions of livestock and their handlers, the wild animal trade with minimal health checks, and the fur trade with little safety oversight. The US meat supply, which sees the raising of about 10 billion land animals annually, is particularly susceptible to a deadly outbreak. The lack of regulations protecting workers on pig and poultry farms and the unregulated nature of the fur industry further contribute to the risk. The importation of around 220 million live wild animals each year without proper health or safety checks also poses a threat. Experts urge for increased oversight and safety regulations to prevent a future zoonotic outbreak.