Learning English

Coronavirus: UN warns of new diseases

The UN is warning that more zoonotic diseases like Ebola, West Nile fever, SARS and Covid-19 could make the jump from animals to humans unless we change the way we do things. Neil and Catherine look at the vocabulary in the news around this story.

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The story

Ebola, West Nile fever, SARS and of course Covid-19 are all zoonotic diseases. They started in animals and made the jump to humans. But that jump isn’t automatic. It is driven, the new report says, by factors such as our increased demand for animal protein, unsustainable agricultural practices and climate change. The UN Environment Programme suggests we can do better at controlling zoonotic diseases with an interdisciplinary approach that unites human, animal and environmental health.

Key words and phrases

outlines
gives the main ideas

• The boss always outlines her spending plans for the year in March.
• The government’s outlined its economic recovery plan following the coronavirus pandemic.

steady stream
continuous flow of something

• Ed Sheeran’s had a steady stream of hits over the last few years.
• Top football clubs produce a steady stream of talented young players.

break the chain
stop a series of related events

• To give up smoking, you need to break the chain of addiction.
• Breaking the chain of infection is one way of stopping the spread of coronavirus.

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