Updated

Mongabay reported on November 13, 2026, that animal cafes and the exotic pet trade are bringing wildlife disease risks into public spaces, citing Mumbai veterinarian Rina Dev. Dev, who works with the forest department treating animals seized from the illegal wildlife trade, was hospitalized for four days with a lung infection and feared it came from parrots she was treating. Mongabay reported that her concern was valid, because psittacosis commonly infects people who handle birds. In a 2024 case, a man who caught it from a parrot recovered with appropriate treatment after broad-spectrum antibiotics failed to help. Mongabay also cited a 2026 Humane World for Animals report that warns the exotic pet trade in India creates conditions extremely conducive to disease transmission, and that India lacks a cohesive surveillance system for diseases after animals are imported. According to a recent report, about 1.7 million unknown viruses may exist in mammals and birds, with perhaps 850,000 able to infect humans. A Science analysis found mammal species in trade were 50% more likely to share pathogens with humans, and the longer a species stayed in trade, the more pathogens it tended to share. Dev also flagged leptospirosis and tuberculosis in primates, and avian influenza reached Australia in June 2026.