That's why it's so exciting that, after the announcement that the virus most likely made this leap in the illegal wildlife market of Wuhan, China, the country has declared a total ban on the trafficking and consumption of wild animals, effective immediately!Where these countries meet, along with China, is what some refer to as theThe CDC says that "three out of every four new or emerging infectious diseases in people come from animals." The deadly Ebola virus is one such disease, beginning half way around the world and originating, it is widely believed, in bats. With these numbers in mind and this history to learn from, how can governments still allow wildlife markets to operate?Wildlife markets are notoriously unhygienic, cramped, and often unregulated or even illegal,These markets also pose a threat to threatened and endangered species. Take, for example, the pangolin - this scaled mammal is trafficked at the highest rate of any animal and sold as a delicacy in restaurants across Asia. The poaching rate has put the population at risk of disappearing forever.China's ban on wildlife markets will be essential in the fight against the spreading viruses and the rampant species extinction to which they contribute. But epidemics like the coronavirus won't be avoided without implementation of similar policies in neighboring countries. South Korea has already seen 977 cases of the coronavirus, with 11 deaths. Japan follows behind with 161 instances, Singapore has had at least 91 - the list goes on and on.