How to prevent future pandemics

Thinking Out Loud: leading philosophers discuss topical global issues

Katrien Devolder and Jeff Sebo on factory farms as breeding grounds for pandemics Covid-19 is very likely a zoonotic disease, which means that it was transmitted from animals to humans. Other dangerous infectious diseases, such as SARS, MERS, Ebola and HIV originated in animals too. In fact, of all emerging infectious diseases in humans, 75% are zoonotic. In this new interview series, Katrien Devolder interviews philosophers and other experts to explore how we might prevent future pandemics. In this episode, Jeff Sebo, Professor of Environmental Studies at NYU, talks about factory farms as breeding grounds for pandemics, and why, if we want to prevent future pandemics, we should consider human and animal health together, and end factory farming.