Reference no: EM133721202

Problem

The COVID-19 pandemic, a global crisis of unprecedented scale, has prompted rigorous investigation into its origin. A prevailing theory suggests that the virus, SARS-CoV-2, originated from transmission between wild bats and humans. This zoonotic spillover highlights the interconnectedness of human health and the natural world. Researchers have scrutinized the unique viral characteristics and genomic data to trace the possible intermediary species and pathways that facilitated transmission. Notably, the pandemic has spurred discussions across various disciplines on concepts familiar to applied ecologists, such as dispersal mechanisms, priority effects, host switches, and evolution of virulence, revealing the applied nature of ecological principles in real-world scenarios. The pandemic underscores the urgency of understanding which species can be harvested safely to prevent both future epidemics and species extinctions.

There have been many proposed management solutions to reduce the likelihood of future pandemics, among them are the two general approaches below:

I. Stricter Wildlife Trade Regulation: Strengthen regulations on the international trade of wildlife, particularly high-risk species that can harbor zoonotic diseases. Implement measures to prevent the illegal trade of wildlife and enforce strict biosecurity standards in markets and trade routes.

II. More Stringent Regulation of Wildlife Markets: Implement stricter regulations and hygiene standards in wildlife markets, which can be hotspots for disease emergence. Consider phasing out markets with high disease risk.

Select one of the provided approaches and put forward a regulation that could be adopted to tackle the identified issue. Develop a concise research plan in a paragraph, outlining how you would gather data regarding the impact of the chosen regulation on the spread of zoonotic diseases after its implementation. Cite at least two research articles you used to develop your plan.