The hunting, trade and consumption of wild meat, or bushmeat, in Central Africa is a past, current and potential future zoonotic disease risk. Pathogens that have spread to humans from bushmeat include HIV, simian foamy virus, monkeypox virus, Ebola viruses, anthrax, herpesviruses, retroviruses and paramyxoviruses. Although zoonotic disease transmission can occur at any point along the bushmeat supply chain, from hunting in the forest to the point of consumption, markets in large urban areas are particularly dangerous.
Read WCS Central Africa's important new report:
Reducing the risk of future emerging infectious disease outbreaks by changing social norms around urban bushmeat consumption and stopping its commercial trade
Image © T. Trefon
