As reported global infections from Covid-19 exceeded 25 million, an Oxford researcher spearheading the development of a vaccine warned that the world faced an increasing risk of animal-to-human disease outbreaks.
Professor Sarah Gilbert was reported by the BBC to have said growing population density, increased travel and continuing deforestation ‘make it more likely that these outbreaks will happen and then something will spread’.
‘Because of the way things have been going in the world, it’s more likely we’ll have zoonotic [animal-to-human] infections causing outbreaks in the future.’
The coronavirus that causes Covid-19 is believed to have originated in bats, before jumping to humans, possibly via another animal.
The report said that while it was not clear exactly where the virus came from, the first human infections were traced back to a wet market in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
Other deadly diseases, such as Ebola, Sars and the West Nile Virus, also originated in animals.
Reuters reported that global Covid-19 infections had reached 25.28 million, with 845 850 deaths.
In South Africa, positive cases grew yesterday by 1 985 to a cumulative total of 627 041 (with 540 923 recoveries). Deaths rose by 121 to 14 149.
The highest tally of cases is in Gauteng (210 169), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (113 006), the Western Cape (106 021) and the Eastern Cape (86 163).
The United States (US), with nearly six million cases, is leading the world with the highest number of infections. It also has the most deaths – 183 000.
Latin America and Asia currently have the highest number of daily confirmed cases.
Brazil has recorded the highest number of deaths, with about 121 000 so far, and the second highest number of cases after the US.
The BBC said newly confirmed cases in the region had also risen in Mexico, Peru, Colombia and Argentina.
In Asia, India has recorded about 3.6 million cases and the country’s death toll, at more than 64 000, is the world’s third highest.
On Sunday, Britain reported the biggest single-day rise in infections – 1 715 – since 4 June.
Meanwhile, India’s economy shrank by 23.9% in the quarter ending June 2020, according to official data.