NYC Wet Markets Still Up and Running, Breeding Ground for Disease

Here's a sneak peek at a wet market with live poultry, which might remind you of something you'd see in China ... even though it's right here in our own backyard.

This footage was shot at two different wet/live animal markets in NYC -- one is called One-Stop "Vivero" Live Poultry Market in the Bronx and another is called Flushing Live Poultry in Queens. Both are currently open and operational, killing and selling the chickens and meat in the same location -- with what appears to be little regulation.

In the clip, you see a woman walking in without any trouble and getting up-close shots of chickens crammed in cages ... and she asks the workers if they're open. They say yes. Later in the video, you see pigeons are also cooped up in the same small space -- there are feathers and feces everywhere ... frankly, it's gross and definitely NOT sanitary.

Now, a little context ... the video here was shot by an animal rights org called NYCLASS, and they tell us there are more than 80 wet markets in the New York area ... which haven't seen increased oversight since the pandemic began ... they don't fall under the NYC Dept. of Health's purview. Instead, these wet markets fall under the USDA and State Agriculture Dept. ... state and federal orgs, which NYCLASS believes poorly manage these markets.

Of course, its reminiscent of the wet markets in China -- where some scientists believe the coronavirus pandemic got started. Some reports suggest bats were at the center of this, but all the same ... having live animals exposed in markets like this ain't healthy.

Of these markets, NYCLASS executive director, Edita Birnkrant, says ... "Their existence poses a public safety risk to the New Yorkers who live and work in these areas. Market floors and even public sidewalks are often covered with blood, feces and other biohazards that put everyone in danger."