At last! Beijing outlaws wild animal markets blamed for the outbreak

CHINA banned the selling and eating of wild animals yesterday in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus and stop similar diseases.

The outbreak is thought to have originated in a wildlife market in Wuhan before spreading across China and the world.

Beijing said the ban was designed to ‘safeguard public health and ecological security’. It aims to stop the ‘trade of wildlife’ and ‘the eating of wild animals’.

The coronavirus is thought to have been transmitted to humans by an animal. It is believed that bats were the primary source of the virus, but it may have spread to humans from another host. Candidates include pangolins (pictured), anteaters and snakes. Although the chances of an animal passing a virus to a human are said to be low, unhygienic wildlife markets make transmission much easier. Cages are stacked on top of each other, and workers rarely wash their hands or switch knives or chopping blocks. Scientists and conservationists have been calling for a ban for decades although critics fear it may force the trade underground. China had already imposed temporary restrictions, as it did during the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic, but the new rules are permanent.