Public Health

image of child's hands cupped for stream of water, Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act Is Important — but a New Supreme Court Decision Limits It

A new ruling threatens the power of one of the most important environmental laws in the United States.

avian flu

Avian Flu: Sentient Media’s Latest Stories

Avian flu poses an increasing risk to humans. Here’s what we know, and a link to all of our coverage.

Are we at risk for a swine flu outbreak?

What Do We Have to Fear From Swine Flu?

Most human cases of swine flu are found at agricultural fairs but there are other disease hotspots to consider, like factory farms.

Mexico poultry industry

Chickens Burned and Buried as Avian Flu Hits the Yucatán

Workers and residents say companies have downplayed avian flu, burning and burying culled birds just outside of town.

factory farm pig

How Do Factory Farms Use Antibiotics?

Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health threat responsible for 1.2 million deaths worldwide. A leading driver of this crisis? Antibiotic use on factory farms.

freshwater fish are a source of PFAS contaminants

Freshwater Fish Are a ‘Significant Source’ of Forever Chemicals

New research finds significantly higher levels of PFAS in locally caught freshwater fish than store-bought fish.

avian flu cases in humans

Every Human Case of Avian Flu Reported So Far

Human cases remain rare but the risk of an outbreak could change at any time.

backyard chickens and avian flu

Avian Flu Is Making it Tougher to Keep Backyard Chickens

Domestic chicken-keeping surged in popularity during lockdown. Then avian flu happened.

pandemic risk

Pandemic Risk on the Rise Thanks to How We Eat

Pandemic risk is on the rise, but researchers know the cause and how to reduce the risk.

egg-free flu vaccines

These Flu Shots Are Better for Animals and Just as Effective, Researchers Say

More than 80 percent of flu vaccines rely on chickens confined in secret FDA facilities. But there are alternatives.

small farm

On Small Farms, the Threat of Zoonotic Disease Still Looms Large

The connection between factory farms and zoonotic diseases is well-established. But new research shows that less-intensive farming styles also come with their own risks.

the end of medicine

New Documentary Predicts ‘The End of Medicine’

A new documentary film by BAFTA-award-winning director Alex Lockwood explores the underreported connections between animal farming and human disease.

chicken farm

First Human Case of H3N8 Bird Flu Confirmed in China

Doctors confirmed that a four-year-old child in the country’s Henan province has been infected with the illness. Millions of birds are already suffering.

superbugs chicken plant

Superbugs on the Shelves: Diseased Chicken Being Sold Across America

A new investigation reveals that companies routinely exceed level of bacteria allowed by USDA—and do not have to recall their products.

Veterinarians Play Pivotal Role in Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance

The threat of antibiotic resistance looms large for veterinarians. We spoke with infectious disease specialist and veterinarian Dr. J. Scott Weese to understand why.

The Next Pandemic Is Already Here: Superbugs and Factory Farms

A new study published in The Lancet found that 1.2 million people died from antibiotic-resistant infections in 2019. Experts fear this is just the beginning.

Cerrado deforestation by Soybean Plantation

The Ever-Clearer Link Between Deforestation and Public Health

Efforts to decolonize forest protection have been stalling for years. COVID-19 might give the movement the urgency it needs.

young pigs in compact pens at industrial farming facility

Antibiotic Resistance Starts on the Farm, but Marginalized Communities Pay the Price

The widespread use of antibiotics on factory farms is exposing everyone who lives within a 3-mile radius to significant health risks. Low-income people of color are often the most affected.

Why Factory Farming’s Pandemic Risk Is Being Ignored

Activists, disease specialists, and environmentalists are making the connection between the way we eat and the risk it poses to public health. Sometimes it feels like they’re the only ones.

can animals catch coronavirus

Can Animals Catch Coronavirus? What You Can Do to Protect Them

If you share your home with a companion animal, you might be asking, can animals catch coronavirus? Here’s what you need to know to keep your pets COVID-free.

coronavirus animal

Coronavirus & Animals: Can Humans Give Animals COVID-19?

Can humans become hosts and infect animals with COVID-19? To answer that question, you need to understand where the novel coronavirus came from.

chicken antibiotics

How Chicken Antibiotics Could Cause the Next Global Health Crisis

The industry’s excessive use of chicken antibiotics shows us just how far producers will go to treat the symptoms of animal agriculture before changing the conditions themselves.

Workers decontiminating in field

The Other Pandemic: Avian Flu Is Spreading Around the Globe

As the world continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic, a parallel scenario is unfolding in the avian world. Outbreaks of avian flu have been detected on poultry farms from the UK to Japan.

Chickens, Nepal, Photo by J McArthur

Live Markets Aren’t Just China’s Problem

Many Americans are quick to blame the pandemic on China’s eating habits while ignoring the issues with their own food system.

did animal agriculture cause covid-19

Coronavirus: Did Animal Agriculture Cause COVID-19?

Factory farming poses a serious pandemic risk, which begs the question: Did animal agriculture cause COVID-19?

“We Stand at a Crossroads”: Jane Goodall Joins Call for UN to Address Animals

Advocates are asking the United Nations to consider the role of animals in their COVID-19 recovery policies. They fear the return to ‘business as usual’ could lead to another deadly pandemic.

zoonotic diseases chicken

Factory Farms Are the Perfect Breeding Grounds for Zoonotic Diseases

Factory farms are filthy and unnatural, housing tens of thousands of animals at a time. These conditions increase the spread of zoonotic diseases from animals to human beings.

A mink looking at approaching visitors from their cage in a fur farm.

Mink Farming’s Pandemic Potential

In Denmark, a new strain of COVID-19 originally found in minks has jumped to humans and could threaten the efficacy of newly developed coronavirus vaccines.

mink fur farm

COVID-19 Leads to Early Closure of Dutch Mink Farms

A new ruling by the Dutch government will close all mink farms in the Netherlands by March 2021 in response to burgeoning coronavirus cases.

farm broiler chicken

To Avoid the Next Pandemic, We Need to Stop Factory Farming

Industrial animal agriculture is exacerbating the risks of zoonotic diseases. Are elected officials ready to dismantle the system that got us into this mess?

pig farming

New Mini-Doc Exposes Pork Industry’s “Unseen” Pandemic Risks

The mini-documentary chronicles pigs’ harrowing 700-mile journey across the American southwest, exposing widespread corporate misconduct that threatens public health.

wet market meat

Wet Markets and the Risk of Transmitting Zoonotic Diseases

Wet markets can be places of profound animal suffering, out of which arise life-threatening diseases like the novel coronavirus. And they exist all over the world.

pig farm hand

VIDEO: How to Prevent the Next Pandemic

Plant-based campaigners Million Dollar Vegan explain the fundamental changes necessary to avoid the next pandemic. Experts warn that if we don’t act now, we may not have another chance to.

face mask medical

Factory Farming Depends on Scarce Medical Supplies

With the availability of medical masks in such short supply, respirators should be sold only to truly “essential” industries—which excludes factory farming.

pangolin trafficked animal

Has Earth’s Most Trafficked Mammal Stopped the World?

Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal on earth, sold for their meat and scales in wildlife markets around the world. The quirky, anteater-like animal is now at the center of the COVID-19 crisis.

factory farm chicken

To Reduce the Risk of Pandemics, We Must Ban Factory Farms Now

Regulating the factory farming industry is not enough to minimize its risks. A total ban is necessary because it expresses that factory farming is deeply harmful to humans, animals, and the environment.

pig farm factory

The Best Defense Against the Next Pandemic: Your Fork

As long as humans insist on abusing and exploiting animals on factory farms, stronger and deadlier pathogens than the novel coronavirus will emerge from the global food system.

CDC flu virus testing

Coronavirus (COVID-19): What Is It and How Does It Spread?

The latest pandemic COVID-19, is caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. How does it spread, how did it start, and what do you need to know?

COVID-19: The Origin Story

With much of the world on lockdown tracking the death toll and flight cancellations, no one is questioning why we are in the midst of the worst global pandemic in over a century, Sentient Media delves into the origin story.

pigs factory farm

A Palate for Pestilence: Ominous Links Between COVID-19 and Industrial Animal Farming

The Chinese government announced it would permanently ban the wildlife trade suspected to be at the center of the COVID-19 pandemic. Will factory farms be next?

coronavirus outbreak person

Coronavirus Should Make You Reconsider Eating Meat

The primary cause of zoonotic diseases like coronavirus is not the consumption of wildlife—it’s the consumption of animals, period.

rabies dog India

India Needs to Get Serious About Rabies Prevention

For a country with more free-roaming dogs than the entire population of Australia, India fares poorly in tackling rabies.

person chicken farm

Yet Another Chicken Recall–We Really Shouldn’t Be Surprised

To the executives at Perdue Foods, chickens are vehicles of protein and, more importantly, material investments they expect to turn a profit. As a result, animal welfare standards fall by the wayside and recalls follow.

Report: Can We Feed 10 Billion People a Healthy Diet?

To stay below the 2-degree mark, the world needs to halt the conversion of high carbon ecosystems to carbon. That starts with what we eat and it will require a three-pronged approach.