January 22, 2020 7:54 PM
The Huanan Seafood Market in the central city of Wuhan came under greater scrutiny on Wednesday as Chinese officials said that the virus which has so far killed nine people and infected hundreds may have originated in a wild animal sold at the food emporium. “Freshly slaughtered, frozen and delivered to your door,” said the price list for the vendor, “Wild Game Animal Husbandry for the Masses”.
AFP was unable to directly confirm the authenticity of the price list. Phone calls to the vendor went unanswered, and attempts to connect to its social media accounts were rejected. A number of the early sufferers of the virus, now known as the 2019 Novel Coronavirus , were employees of the market.Many exotic species are still widely consumed in China or other Asian countries where they are considered a delicacy – like the civet or some rats or bats – or for purported health benefits that are unproven by science.
Bats are thought to have spawned SARS, which in 2002-03 killed hundreds of people in Asia, mostly China.