Why do so many viruses originate in China?

[ohhkay]

Please explain why SARS, Coronavirus and Swine flu have all started in a similar area.

Is it because the country is very large? Is it due to the large population?

Or is it selection bias?

Many other countries are densely populated with poor living conditions. And wet markets are not solely confined to China.

I'm genuinely curious, not racist.

We gave the world mad cow.

I'd expect China to be responsible for 1\7 of the world's illness.

What is really annoying is how many illnesses originate with breeding a animals. But when you discuss veganism or vegetarianism people get told to mind their own business Climate change and disease are everyone's business.

Totally agree. Spitting. It's very common there. Sadly it's seen a revival here. Used to be and I think is still against the law due to spreading tuberculosis - but unfortunately football, among other things have created a new culture of spitting in the UK. I hate it. Always men, usually globbing in the gutter, not far from a road near you. Seem to think it looks cool. But it's disgusting and a health risk.

If you see pictures of cities in China, they are shrouded in a fog of pollution. This cannot help as many people must have weaker immune systems.

I always see people gobbing on the pavement, I didn't realise it was a health concern (just disgusting!).

Spitting doesn't help.

If you're interested in this sort of thing the origins/history of Ebola is really interesting.

My own theory

A great deal of pork is consumed, pork carries disease which humans catch

As I say it’s theory and not, as far as I know got any evidence whatsoever

The fines they hand out for things like spitting in Singapore should be brought in here.

This is an area China can hopefully us its strong control over the population for good for once. I dont give a tiny bats tits if you call me racist, some of their practices around meat especially are revolting and cruel.

Shark fin soup for example, which goes for insane prices there. They cut the fins off and chuck back the live harks often. And the fins taste of nothing and have no nutritional value.

There is this American invention called Google. Try using it

Quick HQ,shut down the website ,no need for MN at all

Dear God,this place is getting worse! Can't the OP ask a perfectly valid question?

A bit of the history around spitting health issues and bans
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43372154

I personally agree that China's large population means that yes more likely to be home to new disease added to this the climate.....

But I also think the media have overplayed this and it will prove to be a storm in a teacup. Scientists and doctors around the world are far more concerned about our failing antibiotics and lack of viable alternatives. Ironically they believe part of the problem is all their use with livestock. So I think reducing meat consumption or becoming vegetarian is the way we all need to head.

Bloody well said @WhereShallWeMoveTo

I google load of things I don’t know, but often what I read is biased or sensationalist stuff put out by the tabloids. I know perfectly well that there are several mumsnetters who are more knowledgeable than me, especially those who may be in the medical profession or in research, so I think asking questions like this on mumsnet is a good idea.

Wow some people r rude replying to the OP its a genuine question and ive wondered it myself!

There's an interesting documentary series on Netflix called Pandemic which touches on this a little OP! It's fascinating. I'm studying a biology degree and we are moving onto the infectious diseases topic shortly and I'm really looking forward to it as I find it very interesting and terrifying at the same time.

African: Zika, HIV, Ebola, Marburg
USA: E Coli 0571 (ok it's not a virus, but people care about it & it's very modern), norovirus (named after Norwalk ... possibly Ohio?)
Far East: SARS, 2019-nCoV
Middle East: MERS, possibly measles
India: possibly smallpox
pre Columbian Americas: possibly syphillis (another bacteria, so shoot me)
Africa & SE Asia: Dengue
pre-history "old world": smallpox, typhoid fever, polio

flu & plague: god knows

I don't hear sympathy for Chinese residents right now, instead I hear lots of blame-seeking :(

Chinese people also eat a much wider variety of animals than, for instance, Europeans do and more wild caught rather than farmed. So there are more novel infections that can jump over with more opportunity due to close proximity to humans and low animal welfare standards.

And when infections do occur they have high population density, fast movement between population centres and a vast population. So any infection that does get into the population is going to have a harder time dying out naturally than it might have 100 years ago. Along with poorer health and health care than European countries and a culture of saving face, effective response to a new infection is harder for them (not that the UK’s response to HvCJD was particularly exemplary at the start either).

@ohhkay the New York Times has a decent article about this. They also had a interesting article on why bats harbour so many of the viruses. Countries that have wildlife markets (and not necessarily with bats, they may pass on the virus through the food chain) see the cross over. It's not necessary just China.

I'm wondering if there's the impression that it's always China because so many people travel to and from China. Less affulent counties that have far fewer visitor the virus is less likely to move out the country. This means there's far less media interest.

Another reason to leave these animals the fuck alone.

I just don't understand how someone can look at a bat and think, oh that might be nice for a snack.

I just don't understand how someone can look at a bat and think, oh that might be nice for a snack

Same way people look at chickens, pigeons, cows, pigs? I don't see the moral difference in eating one animal over another really.

Interesting thread ignore the thread police I am glad you started it

Agree AnotherMonth
We keep millions of animals here in barns and cages too. There is no animal stood in a line waiting to be slaughtered that will give a shit about "high welfare/red tractor/grass fed" stickers on packaging. Thats to make us feel better,not them.

No moral, it's just if you've seen a bat up close them it's really not very tasty looking.

The virus did not get move humans because someone ate a bat.

Bats are the host, other animals get infected by the bats harbouring the virus.

@AtomicRabbit linked an article about the wet markets which will give you a starting block to how zoonotic disease spread.