Humans transmit more viruses to animals than they transmit to humans

The analysis of all virus genome sequences shows that humans transmit more viruses to animals, about twice as many as they transmit to us.

Cedric Tan and colleagues at University College London used a global database of sequenced viruses, including nearly 12 million viral genomes, to study how they move between species.

The results showed that there were nearly 3,000 cases of viruses jumping from one species to another. 79% of them involved viruses jumping from one animal to another.

The remaining 21% is related to humans. Among them, transmission from humans to animals, known as viral infections, accounts for 64%, and transmission from animals to humans, known as zoonotic diseases, accounts for 36%.

Animals affected by human infections include pets, domesticated animals (pigs, horses and cattle, chickens and ducks), primates (chimpanzees, gorillas and howler monkeys, etc.). ), and other wildlife such as raccoons, marmosets and African woolly rats.

In particular, instead of infecting wild animals, they are more likely to be transmitted from person to person.

This shows the enormous impact humans have on the environment and surrounding animals.

Lesley Montoya

Update 28 March 2024