04:31Traders in Bangui admitted that the surging mpox crisis was having an huge impact on their bushmeat sales, as the disease surged across Africa - and a number of cases were reported around the world.
"We're having enormous difficulties at the moment," said Delphine Zame, a trader in the PK 12 market. "We've been told that 'monkeypox is here, so we don't eat bushmeat anymore', and now the population refuses to buy [it]."
Bushmeat includes all wild animal meat in Africa, including monkeys. Footage filmed on Wednesday shows the sellers displaying their wares in the PK 12 market. A local chef is also seen preparing the meat and serving it to customers in a restaurant.
"I have five children who go to public schools and I pay 400,000 a month every year for my five children, now how am I going to pay for their schooling?," Zame added.
Other locals stated that the meat was safe if properly prepared.
"Once I've bought it, I do what the doctors tell us to do, I wash the monkey meat with hot water, put it on the fire and once it's boiling, all the germs will disappear, I can't refuse to eat. If you prepare it badly, you'll catch monkeypox, but if you prepare it well you won't catch the disease," claimed Anne Kobangue, a customer at the market.
"No one has complained of illness from monkeys because of my food. Here, I only sell bushmeat, monkey meat, varan, pangolin, Boa snake and wild boar," added Dieudonne Ngoua, a local chef.
According to the WHO, mpox can be spread by close physical interactions, as well as "from animals to humans through contact with live animals or consumption of contaminated bushmeat." It has declared a 'global health emergency' over the Clade 1 mpox outbreak.
The Central African Republic declared its first case of mpox in late July. Over 16,000 cases and more than 500 deaths have been reported in the neighbouring DRC.
Mpox Clade 1 type, currently in Africa, can kill up to 10 per cent of those infected, according to reports, with cases now confirmed in Sweden and Thailand. The less dangerous clade II type -fatal in less than one percent of cases - caused the 2022 global outbreak.
The disease causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions. Vaccines exist but are usually only available to those at risk or in close contact with cases.
'If you prepare it badly, you'll catch monkeypox' - Bangui's bushmeat trade threatened as disease surges across Africa
Traders in Bangui admitted that the surging mpox crisis was having an huge impact on their bushmeat sales, as the disease surged across Africa - and a number of cases were reported around the world.
"We're having enormous difficulties at the moment," said Delphine Zame, a trader in the PK 12 market. "We've been told that 'monkeypox is here, so we don't eat bushmeat anymore', and now the population refuses to buy [it]."
Bushmeat includes all wild animal meat in Africa, including monkeys. Footage filmed on Wednesday shows the sellers displaying their wares in the PK 12 market. A local chef is also seen preparing the meat and serving it to customers in a restaurant.
"I have five children who go to public schools and I pay 400,000 a month every year for my five children, now how am I going to pay for their schooling?," Zame added.
Other locals stated that the meat was safe if properly prepared.
"Once I've bought it, I do what the doctors tell us to do, I wash the monkey meat with hot water, put it on the fire and once it's boiling, all the germs will disappear, I can't refuse to eat. If you prepare it badly, you'll catch monkeypox, but if you prepare it well you won't catch the disease," claimed Anne Kobangue, a customer at the market.
"No one has complained of illness from monkeys because of my food. Here, I only sell bushmeat, monkey meat, varan, pangolin, Boa snake and wild boar," added Dieudonne Ngoua, a local chef.
According to the WHO, mpox can be spread by close physical interactions, as well as "from animals to humans through contact with live animals or consumption of contaminated bushmeat." It has declared a 'global health emergency' over the Clade 1 mpox outbreak.
The Central African Republic declared its first case of mpox in late July. Over 16,000 cases and more than 500 deaths have been reported in the neighbouring DRC.
Mpox Clade 1 type, currently in Africa, can kill up to 10 per cent of those infected, according to reports, with cases now confirmed in Sweden and Thailand. The less dangerous clade II type -fatal in less than one percent of cases - caused the 2022 global outbreak.
The disease causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions. Vaccines exist but are usually only available to those at risk or in close contact with cases.
Traders in Bangui admitted that the surging mpox crisis was having an huge impact on their bushmeat sales, as the disease surged across Africa - and a number of cases were reported around the world.
"We're having enormous difficulties at the moment," said Delphine Zame, a trader in the PK 12 market. "We've been told that 'monkeypox is here, so we don't eat bushmeat anymore', and now the population refuses to buy [it]."
Bushmeat includes all wild animal meat in Africa, including monkeys. Footage filmed on Wednesday shows the sellers displaying their wares in the PK 12 market. A local chef is also seen preparing the meat and serving it to customers in a restaurant.
"I have five children who go to public schools and I pay 400,000 a month every year for my five children, now how am I going to pay for their schooling?," Zame added.
Other locals stated that the meat was safe if properly prepared.
"Once I've bought it, I do what the doctors tell us to do, I wash the monkey meat with hot water, put it on the fire and once it's boiling, all the germs will disappear, I can't refuse to eat. If you prepare it badly, you'll catch monkeypox, but if you prepare it well you won't catch the disease," claimed Anne Kobangue, a customer at the market.
"No one has complained of illness from monkeys because of my food. Here, I only sell bushmeat, monkey meat, varan, pangolin, Boa snake and wild boar," added Dieudonne Ngoua, a local chef.
According to the WHO, mpox can be spread by close physical interactions, as well as "from animals to humans through contact with live animals or consumption of contaminated bushmeat." It has declared a 'global health emergency' over the Clade 1 mpox outbreak.
The Central African Republic declared its first case of mpox in late July. Over 16,000 cases and more than 500 deaths have been reported in the neighbouring DRC.
Mpox Clade 1 type, currently in Africa, can kill up to 10 per cent of those infected, according to reports, with cases now confirmed in Sweden and Thailand. The less dangerous clade II type -fatal in less than one percent of cases - caused the 2022 global outbreak.
The disease causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions. Vaccines exist but are usually only available to those at risk or in close contact with cases.