Most of the Chinese rural inhabitants adhere fundamentalist thoughts and believes while exotic wildlife is most favored and preferred food in different parts of great China’s rural areas. Whereas, citizens opine living animals killed shortly before serving bear great potential for providing proteins and other minerals etc in China, numerous markets are packed with animals kept for sale to be consumed as a food viz Dog, Cats, frogs, reptiles and birds etc even sea food species are part of food although majority of Chinese don’t rely on these kind of animal feed but consumption of animal meat is comparatively much higher than rest of the world.
For the reason, China has a known history of spread of pernicious Viruses which have swallowed millions of people in recent past. Spread of SARS_CoV-2 in 2002-3 brought callous demise for millions of Chinese through its outbreak. Knowingly, the SARS epidemic was caused by a catlike animal known as Palm Civet. Middle East bearded an epidemic called MERS transmitted by Camels. All such viruses brought disasters in their respective areas.
Now, COVID-19 commonly known as ‘Corona Virus’ has slayed more than Two Thousand and Five Hundred Chinese and around 20 affected persons from rest of the world. More to that, Corona has got sickened around Hundred Thousand people in China, only. In to the bargain, approximately citizens of more than 26 countries are affected by Corona Virus, whereas, by the grace of Almighty God being the immediate neighbor country sharing border and major trade no case of Corona Virus has, so far, reported in Pakistan. Negligence to infractions on part of Government of Pakistan in controlling the periphery of this deadly virus may allow a tremendous devastation in the shape of human loss.
Few leading medical professionals smell the bondage of some, yet, unnoticed factors in this fiasco other than Wuhan’s cattle markets by suspicion of involvement of ‘laboratory’ connections or breach of bio-safety as possible infraction. They also claim it as astonishment that international health officials and scientists including experts from Center for Disease Control and Prevention were also barred to enter Chinese constituency into Wuhan. On the other hand, for indulgence of world interest in prospected cause of Corona virus, a complete ban has been inflicted by the Federal Govt of China on trade and transmission of wild animals into markets and restaurants.
The strong reactive measures adopted by China are truly admirable but lesson ought to be learnt from this outbreak that such devastative attacks have already been prevailed in history
Chinese city of Wuhan’s live meat markets may be the potential pathogens for transmitting new viruses. Different species of animals are mixed up with each other often stacked on top-bottom of one another without having proper hygiene arrangements which may disseminate Zoonotic diseases. Suspected COVID-19 epidemic from Wuhan cattle market is staggering for the world community. As being aware of the vulnerability of Wuhan markets as pathogens; no major and permanent steps were ever adopted by the local government although, wild life trade is globally banned to an extent and is also considered as illegal. In Wuhan’s souk, numerous species of animal are being cut by same choppers whereas, chopping blocks are also not being washed properly even hands of butchers remain unwashed throughout the day.
What China is required to do is, at first, shutter all such Cattle markets forever and ever. It’s the need of the hour as once China did in 2003 in other provinces when SARS emerged. But shockingly that ban was implicated temporarily as quarantine and today the emerging world’s best economy has to face international isolation on part of trade and every other kind. China is feeling the same pain once it had to bear in 2003.
Hundreds of innocent citizens are losing their precious lives fighting malicious virus while China is powerful enough to impose permanent ban on Cattle Markets, particularly, on wild life trade which has brought the lives of around 1.4 Billion habitants to a stand-still and has exposed them to insecurity. Economic benefits of a small community related with wild life markets must not be given leniency and positive nod by the govt but they may be provided with cold shoulder to such self-abhorrent. The strong reactive measures adopted by China are truly admirable but lesson ought to be learnt from this outbreak that such devastative attacks have already been prevailed in history.
In 1981, a leading bestselling author named Dean Koontz had predicted and sounded the alarm bell through his book titled ‘The Eyes of Darkness” in which some astounding revelations were made about preparation of biological weapons named as ‘Wuhan-400’ which were under process at Research Centers in Wuhan. What is the truth and reality only nature knows and can determine, exactly. What we as human beings can presume is only the safety of the Universe from manmade disastrous weapons once those were Nuclear weapons now the suspected biological ones.
The writer is freelancer