Episode Synopsis
Past pandemics have started because people trafficked, sold, ate or encroached on wild animals. In this episode we’ll discuss how pandemics start with science writer David Quammen, author of the 2012 book Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic. He’s accompanied international teams of disease detectives investigating how SARS1, Nipah Virus and other disease agents jumped from animals to humans and started to spread.
We may never know whether the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic started with a transfer directly from a bat, went through an intermediate host, or emerged from a lab accident, but understanding how other pandemics have started could help us avoid another global disaster.
“Follow the Science” is produced, written, and hosted by Faye Flam, with funding by the Society for Professional Journalists. Today’s episode was edited by Seth Gliksman with music by Kyle Imperatore. If you’d like to hear more “Follow the Science,” please like, follow, and subscribe!
