A report from Sidmouth's Donkey Sanctuary has said identified previously unknown biosecurity threats caused by the international donkey skin trade. 

Tests were carried out on 108 donkey skin samples from an abattoir in Kenya. 

The results showed that that 88 of the skins were carrying Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, including 44 samples positive for the methicillin-resistant (MRSA) strain and three S. aureus samples positive for the PVL- toxin, which is known to cause invasive necrotising disease in humans. 

Over 4.8 million donkeys are traded and slaughtered for their skins each year. The demand is largely led by the Chinese market for ejiao, which is a traditional remedy.

The animals - including those that are clearly unwell - are slaughtered using unsanitary methods, in both backyard and licences slaughterhouses. They are also transported in inhuman conditions. 

What needs to be done?

The Donkey Sanctuary is urging governments and citizens to take steps to reduce the risks. 

The charity has called on the global shipping industry to refuse to carry donkey skins and it urged the Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese governments to ban the import of skins. 

Marianne Steele, Chief Executive of The Donkey Sanctuary said: "The global trade in donkey skins is cruel and inhumane, unregulated and unnecessary, which results in suffering for donkeys and donkey-dependent communities on a devastating scale.

"While many may choose to turn away from the direct impacts on animals and people, I would implore consumers, governments and the wider public to take notice of the risks to animal and human health.  

 "The global trade in donkey skins should be halted immediately. We now have evidence it is neither humane, sustainable nor safe and allowing it to continue, given the risks we have revealed, is unanswerable. 

 "If nothing else, the recent lessons of Covid-19, and the current outbreak of avian flu, should make us sit up and take notice of the emerging threats that zoonotic diseases pose." 

 You can read the full report here.