The black market demand for monkey meat could see Ebola spread in the UK and Europe.
Eighty per cent of the meat eaten in Cameroon is killed in the wild and is known as “bushmeat”. (Gerald Direct)
Monkey is considered a delicacy in certain African societies.
The Sunday Express reported:
Eating bush flesh is one of main ways Ebola is transmitted to humans and 7,500 tonnes of illegal meat enters the UK every year.
The exotic meats are eaten by some sectors of African immigrants in Britain as a luxury dish and the trade has been defended on cultural grounds.
But the outbreak of Ebola in Guinea, which has killed more than 700 people, has raised concerns over the consumption of bush flesh.
A BBC investigation previously discovered the markets at Ridley Road, London sold giant rats among other smuggled meats.
It is known as a prime example of an area where black market meats are sold and is replicated all over the country.
Dr Yunes Teinaz, a former environment health official, warned the bush meat is sold “all over the country” and is a “huge” health risk.
Scientists report that Ebola may be present in more animals than previously thought. So far, it has been detected in chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, antelopes, porcupines, rodents, dogs, pigs and humans.
More… The UN warned West Africans to stay away from fruit bats as Ebola spreads.