As China continues to take measures to face the deadly coronavirus outbreak, outdoor food markets that sell both live and dead animals have been labeled "ground zero" by authorities regarding the viral epidemic.
State authorities recently banned the trade of live animals in Chinese markets. The famous Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, the city where the virus is believed to have started, was previously closed on January 1, 2020. The market faces the most scrutiny for allegedly selling the meat of more than 100 animals, including live rats, wolf puppies, live peacocks, exotic snakes, porcupines, and even live koalas, according to images circulating online.
The vast outdoor marketplace is comprised of many rows of narrow lanes cluttered with butchers, shopkeepers, and consumers seeking the freshest cuts of uncooked meat. According to Business Insider, people come in constant contact with live and dead animals at the market, which makes it far more comfortable for the virus to spread into the human population.
Photo from Douban of a menu at #Wuhan Huanan Seafood Market. Don't know when it was taken, but they sell all kinds of wild animals incl. live wolf pups & palm civets. 2nd photo taken after outbreak discovered shows this storefront (3rd left) covering word “野 (wild)” in its name. pic.twitter.com/HiQlzX4XBX
— Muyi Xiao (@muyixiao) January 21, 2020
Relatively common animals include hares, chicken, shrimp, pigs, and dogs, but a shocking array of exotic cuts can be found, including crocodile tongue, giant salamanders, and civets. Chinese consumption of civet meat had been the cause of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak back in 2003, as AFP reports. The SARS virus that originated with bats was found across wildlife markets in the country.
新年快樂😁
— 😷Liberty😷 (@Hongkong3333333) January 22, 2020
要死吃多點吧！ pic.twitter.com/r06hwwMm1f
While the country's authorities have outlawed the trafficking of many wild species—particularly since the outbreak of SARS—conservationists say that the regulations are too loose generally but particularly for species farmed for commercial purposes.
这东西长得像不像死神躺在你碗里？之前看纪录片，蝙蝠生活在山洞里，就地排泄，山洞里积了厚厚一层粪便，粪便里生活着各种恶心的虫子…经历这次事件能让中国人彻底放弃吃野味吗？ pic.twitter.com/6mNQmBWCpi
— 陈秋实（陳秋實） (@chenqiushi404) January 22, 2020
Meanwhile, experts warned it's "quite possible" that the deadly virus will spread to Australia, as health authorities confirmed that a person in Sydney is under quarantine after possibly contracting the deadly coronavirus.
#WuhanSARS 中國人咁食野味， 滅族不遠已 pic.twitter.com/yW0Ja6plIp
— chunglinpeng (@Fightin49203206) January 23, 2020
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