Despite "Novel Coronavirus," Edible Bats Sold in China and Indonesia

Edible bats sold at the Tomohon Market in Indonesia / Photo by South China Morning Post, Hong Kong

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] As the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) that originated in Wuhan, China spreads worldwide, controversy is expected as wild animals, including bat meat, are still traded for consumption in some countries such as China and Indonesia.

The Hong Kong daily South China Morning Post reported on the 6th that wild animals such as bats are being traded in a traditional market in Indonesia, which attracts many Chinese tourists.

According to the report, various wild animals such as snakes, dogs, and monkeys are sold for consumption at the Tomohon Market in North Sulawesi Province.

It was also confirmed that bat meat is traded on Chinese local online shopping malls such as Alibaba.com.

As of the 7th, according to the Alibaba.com homepage, "dried edible bats" are still being sold. Sellers are promoting the products with phrases such as "can be used as medicine, health food, or tea," "good for stamina," and "effective for coughs and diarrhea."

The price is formed at about $68 (approximately 80,000 KRW) to $77 (approximately 91,000 KRW) per kilogram.

Meanwhile, experts suspect bats as the host of the novel coronavirus.

On the 5th, at the "Measures to Counter the Novel Coronavirus Infection" held at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, Bu Ha-ryeong, a senior researcher at the Infectious Disease Research Center of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, who participated as a designated discussant, stated, "According to the nucleotide sequence analysis of the novel coronavirus, it shows 96% similarity with the coronavirus isolated from bats and 79.5% similarity with the SARS virus, and the proteins mediating cell infection are reported to be similar to those of SARS."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.