Farmed Wildlife Had Lower Odds of Some Parasitic Zoonoses

Across 10 studies assessing parasitic zoonoses in aquatic species, farmed animals had lower odds of infection than wild-caught animals. Among fish specifically, farmed animals had lower odds of zoonotic parasites.

The researchers suggested that managed production environments could reduce exposure to intermediate hosts involved in the complex life cycles of parasites.

Bacterial Findings Were Mixed

Across aquatic species, there was no significant overall difference in bacterial zoonotic pathogen detection between farmed and wild-caught animals.

Interestingly, individual studies found higher odds of bacterial zoonoses among farmed frogs and freshwater turtles, both of which were tested for Salmonella. No statistically significant differences were observed for farmed versus wild-caught fish or shellfish.

Limited Viral Data

Only one included study compared viral pathogen detection, reporting lower odds of coronavirus detection among farmed rats than wild-caught rats.

Researchers Suggest Importance of Environmental, Management Conditions

While the authors cautioned against generalizing the findings due to study limitations, they concluded that environmental and management conditions, rather than whether wildlife is farmed or wild-caught alone, likely influence zoonotic hazard. The researchers called for standardized comparative research across additional species and pathogens.