Coronavirus: Thousands of wild animals were sold at Wuhan markets in months before Covid-19 outbreak, new report finds
- Findings by Chinese and British researchers highlight scale of trade in wild species and the poor conditions in which they were kept
- The animals on sale include species known to be susceptible to coronaviruses – such as civet cats, mink and raccoon dogs – but not bats or pangolins
Thousands of wild animals were sold in markets in the Chinese city of Wuhan ahead of the Covid-19 outbreak, new research has found.
The study by British and Chinese researchers shines a spotlight on the active animal trade in the city, which has long been considered a potential source of the outbreak.
In the most detailed record of wild animal sales yet to be published, the scientists estimate that more than 47,000 wild animals were sold in the city’s markets in the two and a half years before the disease emerged.
In monthly site visits to 17 shops selling wild animals across four markets in Wuhan between May 2017 and November 2019, researchers documented the sale of 38 species.
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These included mammals such as civet cats, mink and raccoon dogs, which are known to be susceptible to coronaviruses, along with squirrels, badgers, foxes and hedgehogs, as well as birds and reptiles.