A Look Inside ‘Wet Markets,’ Where Experts Believe COVID-19 Originated

Published March 23, 2020 by Katherine Sullivan.

As the COVID-19 outbreak becomes a rapidly growing crisis in the U.S. and beyond, folks are arming themselves with necessities, including knowledge. The outbreak has caused us all to become more familiar with terms like “novel coronavirus,” “self-quarantine,” and—here’s a new one—“wet market.”

What is a wet market?

Experts believe that the novel coronavirus originated at the Huanan Seafood Market, a wet market in Wuhan, China. A wet market (sometimes referred to as a “wildlife market”) sells live and dead animals—including fish, birds, badgers, bats, pangolins (scaly anteaters), and turtles—for human consumption.

The term is pretty on point: These markets are wet. Water splashes over the sides of open tubs filled with live sea animals who will inevitably be killed, countertops and floors are streaked red with the insides of gutted fish and slaughtered animals’ blood, and turtles crawl over each other before their shells are cut off while they’re still alive:

It’s no wonder that a deadly virus flourished in such an environment. These markets—crammed full of stressed, likely terrified animals—are breeding grounds for diseases like COVID-19. But what about the live-animal markets that exist here in the U.S.—or any animal agriculture operation, really? What’s the difference between these chickens at a wet market in Taiwan and the ones at the more than 80 live-animal markets and slaughterhouses operating in New York City? How are the restaurants in Los Angeles that mutilate and serve live animals to customers any better than wet markets in Asia? Zoonotic viruses don’t originate exclusively in wet markets. The types of animals most commonly connected to viral outbreaks in humans are chickens and pigs. And the U.S. is home to countless farms where chickens are crammed together in small cages and pigs are packed in feces-ridden sheds as well as slaughterhouses where chickens and pigs are killed on floors soaked with blood, urine, and other bodily fluids. So while current events have many calling for an end to wet markets and the wildlife trade in Asia, it’s simply not enough.

To prevent pandemics like coronavirus, we must end the demand for animal flesh entirely.

It’s been widely speculated that bats (some of whom build friendships in ways similar to humans) sold for soup could be COVID-19’s origin point. But since previous influenza viruses have originated in chickens and pigs, we can’t blame bats or other wild animals for these outbreaks.

ZOONOTIC VIRUSES AREN’T A WET MARKET OR WILDLIFE-TRADE PROBLEM—THEY’RE A HUMAN PROBLEM. HUMANS’ ACTIONS TOWARD OTHER ANIMALS CREATED COVID-19, AND IT’S UP TO US TO SHAPE UP.

Deadly diseases like COVID-19 will keep breaking out until the world stops eating animals. If we were all vegan, COVID-19—along with SARS and MERS—likely wouldn’t exist. Plus, animals deserve better than this:

Just as we don’t want to become infected with or die of COVID-19, animals don’t want to suffer or be killed for food. Pigs, for example, just want to be left in peace to nurse their young, protect their friends, and relax in the sun (much like humans).

BIRD FLU, CORONAVIRUS, HEART DISEASE, SALMONELLA … WHEN WILL PEOPLE REALIZE THAT EATING ANIMALS KILLS IN SO MANY WAYS?

Yes, wet markets should be banned. But please, ban meat, eggs, and dairy from your plate—before the next deadly zoonotic disease hits.

Tapah Fish

Hii..did you know Tapah Fish?

The physical feature of Tapah fish is similar to Keli fish, the main difference between these two is the dorsal fin. The dorsal fin of Tapah fish is small, while the dorsal fin of Keli fish is huge and long.

Tapah fish is categorised as warm water fish. It feeds on animal baits. The female Tapah fish is able to grow quite rapidly, and its large body size is one of the features of female Tapah fish, which makes it very valuable in fish farming for its breeding value. Meanwhile, the male Tapah fish that is smaller in size is not valuable in fish farming.

The flesh of Tapah fish is highly appreciated due to its tender textures and scrumptiousness. Tapah fish likes to stay under muddy surface, feed on benthic organisms and planktons, and sometimes, it would feed on fragments of water plants