A special joint task force targeting the illegal wild animal trade was announced recently by five departments － the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the General Administration of Customs, the Ministry of Public Security, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
The announcement said any store that breaks the law will be closed, and anybody illegally trading or transporting wild animals will receive heavier punishment. The first cases of infection were traced to a market in Wuhan, capital of Hubei. The market is reported to have sold meat from a wide range of unusual wild animals, including camels, kangaroos, masked palm civets and the Chinese porcupine.
In Yunnan province, known as the country's wildlife kingdom, 2,351 wild animal farms have been temporarily closed to the public, and all administrative approvals related to wild animals have been suspended.