Honors Projects
Abstract
Building on field research in Costa Rica and Belize, this honors project analyzes environmental and endangered animal protection policies, rights, and practices in Central America and the Caribbean, and assesses the impact of veterinary science and biological research and practice, particularly conservation biology, on animal welfare concerns. Informed by the recent surge in awareness regarding zoonoses and zoonotic disease transmission, prevention and control, resulting from the current global pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, the project assesses the need for new and innovative types of collaboration, particularly involving conservation biologists, environmental scientists, public health experts, law and policy makers, and global trade and technology experts, is needed to save endangered and critically endangered species, not only in Central America and the Caribbean region, but worldwide. Given the attention to the COVID-19 pandemic, the honors project includes a case study on the Manis javanica (Sunda, Javan, or Malayan pangolin) and the impact of illegal trafficking of this critically endangered animal. Building on this case study, the project theorizes that awareness of zoonosis transmission, prevention and control, especially during a global pandemic, could be key to reducing the sale, either legal or illegal, of wild animals in order to mitigate zoonotic infection spread. Given that nearly sixty percent of all emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in nature, and seventy-one percent of those zoonotic diseases originate in wildlife, this honors project argues that the COVID-19 pandemic could be instrumental in new awareness and policy development that can reduce illegal trafficking of endangered and critically endangered species.
Department
Biological Sciences
Major
Pre-Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine
First Advisor
Dr. Amilcar Challu
First Advisor Department
History
Second Advisor
Dr. Justin Donhauser
Second Advisor Department
Philosophy
Third Advisor
Dr. Eileen Underwood
Third Advisor Department
Biological Sciences
Publication Date
Fall 12-7-2020
Repository Citation
Fedak-Lengel, Daniella, "Impact of Endangered Animal Protection Rights, Policies, and Practices on Zoonotic Disease Spread" (2020). Honors Projects. 556.
https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/honorsprojects/556
Included in
Animal Studies Commons, Biological Phenomena, Cell Phenomena, and Immunity Commons, Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons, Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology Commons, Environmental Policy Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Health Policy Commons, Immunology of Infectious Disease Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Integrative Biology Commons, Latin American Studies Commons, Medical Biochemistry Commons, Medical Humanities Commons, Medicine and Health Commons, Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons, Veterinary Infectious Diseases Commons, Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology Commons, Veterinary Pathology and Pathobiology Commons, Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health Commons