African conservationists say bushmeat trade fueling zoonotic diseases

NAIROBI, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Illegal trade in bushmeat, meat from wildlife species that are hunted for human consumption, most often referring to the meat of game in Africa, due to lax policing, poverty, and soaring demand for protein is to blame for the regular outbreak of zoonotic diseases in Africa, experts said Wednesday.

Speaking at a virtual forum in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, the conservation experts decried the trafficking of bushmeat in the continent which exposed already vulnerable communities to the risk of fatal pathogens.