Animal Law News

Animal Law News

Preventing a pandemic: Updating the human-animal rule-book

Page 1 of the book "Animals, Welfare and the Law" states: Mentioning "mad cow disease", "foot-and-mouth disease", "bird flu", or "swine flu" is usually enough to have people agreeing that issues of animal-related disease control have a significant impact not just on the animals who suffer from the disease, but also on people and economies.

Now add COVID-19 to that list.

Unsurprisingly,animal welfare advocates across the globe point to the latest pandemic as yet another illustration and...more >>

WHO : emerging pathogens from animals to humans

What have we learned from the investigations of the first known human COVID-19 cases?

As soon as the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in late December 2019, investigations were conducted to understand the epidemiology of COVID-19 and the original source of the outbreak.

A large proportion of the initial cases in late December 2019 and early January 2020 had a direct link to the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market in Wuhan City, where seafood, wild, and farmed animal species were sold.
Many of the initial patients were either stall owners...more >>

Food Safety and the Coronavirus Disease 2019

The following information is sourced from the webpage of the US Food and Drug Administration. The principles have wide application to the food industry across the planet.

Workers in the food and agriculture sector fill critical and essential roles within communities. Promoting the ability of our workers within the food and agriculture industry to continue to work during periods of community restrictions, social distances, and closure orders, among others, is crucial to community continuity and community resilience.

Because the intensity of the COVID-...more >>

Caring for pets and livestock during the COVID-19 pandemic

Many governments are providing websites dealing with frequently asked questions, concerns and issues involving corona virus and animals. The information below is taken from one such website. It is recommended that people check their respective government's website for information that deals more specifically with local/national animal-related matters.

Can animals spread coronavirus?

Currently, there is no evidence animals (pets or livestock) can spread COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).To date, there is no evidence that...more >>

OIE: Animal and environmental investigations to identify the zoonotic source of the COVID-19 Virus

OIE publicly available information addressing:

What is known about the role of animals in the emergence of Coronavirus Disease 2019, COVID-19 (caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (otherwise known as the COVID virus)) and to make
Preliminary recommendations relating to investigations at the human-animal ecosystems interface.

Current knowledge (31 January 2020):

Many important questions remain unanswered about the animal origin of the COVID-19 virus.
...more >>

Animals and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

This information is provided by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC"), CDC page last reviewed: March 16, 2020:

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some coronaviruses cause cold-like illnesses in people, while others cause illness in certain types of animals, such as cattle, camels, and bats. Some coronaviruses, such as canine and feline coronaviruses, only infect animals and do not infect humans.

Risk to people: We do not know the exact source of this virus. Public health officials and...more >>

Wildlife trade ban as COVID-19 outbreak intensifies

China has banned the trade and consumption of wild animals in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

A temporary ban on trade in wildlife announced in January was expected to continue until the epidemic was brought under control. However, with the spread of the disease caused by the virus, known as COVID-19, showing no signs of abating, a more comprehensive ban was passed on Feb. 24 by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), which exercises legislative power in the country.

Key points:

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Liability in COVID-19 cases?

The Wuhan coronavirus, which is officially known as COVID-19, has affected tens of thousands of people around the world. As the number of coronavirus cases continues to increase, people may be wondering about their legal options if they contract this disease or if a family member dies from an infection.

The answer to that question begins with the words "It depends". Accountability and responsibility (commonly referred to as "liability" in a legal context) can vary according to the jurisdiction, the facts and the circumstances of each case.

...more >>

COVID-19: another infectious disease emerging at the animal-human interface

The ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak is an example of yet another infectious disease emerging at the animal-human interface, causing considerable concern and disruption as it spreads across international borders. It is remarkable to think that we didn’t know about this new coronavirus a few weeks ago, yet it now dominates news headlines globally and has caused major disruptions to travel and trade.

Much of what we have been witnessing is a result of the rapid sharing of information, possibly more than with any other outbreak. The early messaging to...more >>

Herding sheep with a drone and positive reinforcement

Imagine the sheep running to the farmer rather than the traditional picture of farm dogs barking and herding the sheep.

Utilising technology in agriculture is nothing new. And most people are familiar with drones and how they work, so there's the assumption that drone technology in agriculture utilises the drones to bark like dogs and herd the sheep. As novel is that may be, that's not the situation for one farmer who has trained the sheep to associate the sound of the drone with food.

Those with small farms and a handful...more >>