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> Further it brings into question the items that are good or bad. Is "Racoon Dog" ok or not? Can they sell "Bats"? As far as I understand things (which is only
by cwzwarich 7y ago
> Further it brings into question the items that are good or bad. Is "Racoon Dog" ok or not? Can they sell "Bats"?
As far as I understand things (which is only from reading articles and watching YouTube videos of people visiting these markets), most of the animals like bats, civets, pangolins, etc. that are implicated in zoonotic diseases are delicacies rather than staples. If they were banned, nobody would starve.
- mschuster91 7y agoFrench eat snails and frogs. Australians eat kangaroos. Americans eat alligators. People across the world eat local food as delicacies or sometimes as staple foods. What is so different about Chinese wildlife? What matters and should be fixed is sanitary standards, not what kind of meat the Chinese eat.
- cwzwarich 7y agoSome animals show more viral diversity than others. Amongst mammals, bats are somewhat unique: https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/where-coronaviruses-come-from-67011 https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/where-coronavirus... https://www.the-scientist.com/notebook/why-bats-make-such-good-viral-hosts-64251 https://www.the-scientist.com/notebook/why-bats-make-such-go... http://nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/nature22975 http://nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/nature22975 The research on Chinese coronavirus outbreaks indicates that bats are a large reservoir for these viruses, and they frequently infect other animals, but it is difficult to pinpoint the final jump to humans exactly. Given the unique status of bats in this regard, it's probably best to keep live ones away from humans or other animals intended for human consumption.