Query: Preventing future pandemics requires more not less “industrial” agriculture

Relevant passages:
Human overpopulation <=SEP=> Human overpopulation occurs when the ecological footprint of a human population in a specific geographical location exceeds the carrying capacity of the place occupied by that group . Overpopulation can further be viewed , in a long term perspective , as existing when a population can not be maintained given the rapid depletion of non-renewable resources or given the degradation of the capacity of the environment to give support to the population .   The term human overpopulation refers to the relationship between the entire human population and its environment : the Earth , or to smaller geographical areas such as countries . Overpopulation can result from an increase in births , a decline in mortality rates , an increase in immigration , or an unsustainable biome and depletion of resources . It is possible for very sparsely populated areas to be overpopulated if the area has a meagre or non-existent capability to sustain life ( e.g. a desert ) . Advocates of population moderation cite issues like quality of life , carrying capacity , and risk of starvation as a basis to argue against continuing high human population growth and for population decline . Scientists suggest that the human impact on the environment as a result of overpopulation , profligate consumption and proliferation of technology has pushed the planet into a new geological epoch known as the Anthropocene .

Intensive animal farming <=SEP=> Intensive animal farming or industrial livestock production , also known as factory farming by opponents of the practice , is a modern form of intensive farming that refers to animal husbandry , the keeping of livestock such as cattle , poultry , and fish at higher stocking densities than is usually the case with other forms of animal agriculture -- a practice typical in industrial farming by agribusinesses . The main products of this industry are meat , milk and eggs for human consumption . There are issues regarding whether factory farming is sustainable and ethical .   Confinement at high stocking density is one part of a systematic effort to produce the highest output at the lowest cost by relying on economies of scale , modern machinery , biotechnology , and global trade . There are differences in the way factory farming techniques are practiced around the world . There is a continuing debate over the benefits , risks and ethical questions of factory farming . The issues include the efficiency of food production ; animal welfare ; whether it is essential for feeding the growing global population ; and the environmental impact ( e.g. pollution ) and health risks .

Avian influenza <=SEP=> Avian influenza -- known informally as avian flu or bird flu -- refers to `` influenza caused by viruses adapted to birds . '' The type with the greatest risk is highly pathogenic avian influenza ( HPAI ) .   `` Bird flu '' is a phrase similar to `` swine flu , '' `` dog flu , '' `` horse flu , '' or `` human flu '' in that it refers to an illness caused by any of many different strains of influenza viruses that have adapted to a specific host . Out of the three types of influenza viruses ( A , B , and C ) , influenza A virus is a zoonotic infection with a natural reservoir almost entirely in birds . Avian influenza , for most purposes , refers to the influenza A virus .   Though influenza A is adapted to birds , it can also stably adapt and sustain person-to person transmission . Recent influenza research into the genes of the Spanish flu virus shows it to have genes adapted from both human and avian strains . Pigs can also be infected with human , avian , and swine influenza viruses , allow for mixtures of genes ( reassortment ) to create a new virus , which can cause an antigenic shift to a new influenza A virus subtype which most people have little to no immune protection .   Avian influenza strains are divided into two types based on their pathogenicity : high pathogenicity ( HP ) or low pathogenicity ( LP ) . The most well-known HPAI strain , H5N1 , appeared in China in 1996 , and also has low pathogenic strains found in North America . Companion birds in captivity are unlikely to contract the virus and there has been no report of a companion bird with avian influenza since 2003 . Pigeons do not contract or spread the virus .   In the approximate four years from early 2013 to early 2017 , 916 lab-confirmed human cases of H7N9 were reported to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .   On 9 January 2017 , the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China reported to WHO 106 cases of H7N9 which occurred from late November through late December , including 35 deaths , 2 potential cases of human-to-human transmission , and 80 of these 106 persons stating that they have visited live poultry markets . The cases are reported from Jiangsu ( 52 ) , Zhejiang ( 21 ) , Anhui ( 14 ) , Guangdong ( 14 ) , Shanghai ( 2 ) , Fujian ( 2 ) and Hunan ( 1 ) . Similar sudden increases in the number of human cases of H7N9 have occurred in previous years during December and January .