Forest loss could make diseases like COVID-19 more likely, according to study

Apr 15, 2020

Giza Zoo keeper, Mohamed Aly touches the hand of a chimpanzee called 'Dodo' as he reaches from his cage after the zoo was closed to visitors to help prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt April 2, 2020. Picture taken April 2, 2020. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh - RC2ZWF9C5A9S

The study revealed how deforestation in Uganda has exposed humans to greater interaction with wild primates and the viruses they carry. Image: REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

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When forests are cleared, the chances for transmission of zoonotic diseases increase. Image: Laura Bloomfield

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