ABSTRACT
The Earth is facing environmental degradation from many directions. In addition to climate change and plastic pollution, we are also facing a biodiversity crisis. Many species of wildlife—animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria—are entangled in the biodiversity crisis. A possible risk to biodiversity, stemming from wildlife trade, is the potential biosecurity threats. These biosecurity threats take two forms: invasive species and disease. The second biosecurity threat, and of particular contemporary relevance to discussions of wildlife trade, is the link to disease transmission. In regard to the trade in non-human animals, there are also many instances of disease transmission between non-human animals. One point regarding disease transmission, wildlife trade, and biodiversity is the adverse impacts on wildlife when a zoonotic disease passes back from humans to wildlife. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
