Wild meat consumption in urban Sierra Leone during the Covid-19 pandemic

Wild meat is associated with an increased risk of zoonotic diseases. In some West African countries wild meat consumption declined as the result of official restrictions following Ebola outbreaks during 2013–2016, and was also affected by the current Covid-19 pandemic. In Sierra Leone, a country aff...

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Autores principales: Sainge, M.N., Wusha-Conteh, F., Fa, J.E., Sullivan, M.J., Cuní-Sanchez, A.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Cambridge University Press 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/131146
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author Sainge, M.N.
Wusha-Conteh, F.
Fa, J.E.
Sullivan, M.J.
Cuní-Sanchez, A.
author_browse Cuní-Sanchez, A.
Fa, J.E.
Sainge, M.N.
Sullivan, M.J.
Wusha-Conteh, F.
author_facet Sainge, M.N.
Wusha-Conteh, F.
Fa, J.E.
Sullivan, M.J.
Cuní-Sanchez, A.
author_sort Sainge, M.N.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Wild meat is associated with an increased risk of zoonotic diseases. In some West African countries wild meat consumption declined as the result of official restrictions following Ebola outbreaks during 2013–2016, and was also affected by the current Covid-19 pandemic. In Sierra Leone, a country affected by these diseases, we documented wild meat use in four markets in the capital, Freetown. From a total of 197 interviews, we analysed the influence of age and gender on the types of wild meat eaten and the reasons for their consumption. We found that more men than women consumed wild meat, and for both genders taste was the main reason for eating wild meat. Age did not affect wild meat consumption amongst women. Evidence for changes in consumer behaviour in response to zoonotic disease risk was mixed. Although some consumers avoided wild meat because of disease risk, none stated this was the primary reason for not eating wild meat, and monkeys (presumed to carry a high zoonotic disease risk) were amongst the species cited as being consumed often. More work is needed to identify the best pathway towards safe and sustainable consumption of wild meat in urban Sierra Leone.
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spelling CGSpace1311462024-08-27T10:37:20Z Wild meat consumption in urban Sierra Leone during the Covid-19 pandemic Sainge, M.N. Wusha-Conteh, F. Fa, J.E. Sullivan, M.J. Cuní-Sanchez, A. wildlife conservation zoonoses pandemic Wild meat is associated with an increased risk of zoonotic diseases. In some West African countries wild meat consumption declined as the result of official restrictions following Ebola outbreaks during 2013–2016, and was also affected by the current Covid-19 pandemic. In Sierra Leone, a country affected by these diseases, we documented wild meat use in four markets in the capital, Freetown. From a total of 197 interviews, we analysed the influence of age and gender on the types of wild meat eaten and the reasons for their consumption. We found that more men than women consumed wild meat, and for both genders taste was the main reason for eating wild meat. Age did not affect wild meat consumption amongst women. Evidence for changes in consumer behaviour in response to zoonotic disease risk was mixed. Although some consumers avoided wild meat because of disease risk, none stated this was the primary reason for not eating wild meat, and monkeys (presumed to carry a high zoonotic disease risk) were amongst the species cited as being consumed often. More work is needed to identify the best pathway towards safe and sustainable consumption of wild meat in urban Sierra Leone. 2023-07 2023-07-13T08:08:12Z 2023-07-13T08:08:12Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/131146 en Open Access Cambridge University Press Sainge, M. N., Wusha-Conteh, F., Fa, J. E., Sullivan, M. J. P. and Cuni-Sanchez, A. (2023) “Wild meat consumption in urban Sierra Leone during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Oryx. doi: 10.1017/S0030605322000990.
spellingShingle wildlife conservation
zoonoses
pandemic
Sainge, M.N.
Wusha-Conteh, F.
Fa, J.E.
Sullivan, M.J.
Cuní-Sanchez, A.
Wild meat consumption in urban Sierra Leone during the Covid-19 pandemic
title Wild meat consumption in urban Sierra Leone during the Covid-19 pandemic
title_full Wild meat consumption in urban Sierra Leone during the Covid-19 pandemic
title_fullStr Wild meat consumption in urban Sierra Leone during the Covid-19 pandemic
title_full_unstemmed Wild meat consumption in urban Sierra Leone during the Covid-19 pandemic
title_short Wild meat consumption in urban Sierra Leone during the Covid-19 pandemic
title_sort wild meat consumption in urban sierra leone during the covid 19 pandemic
topic wildlife conservation
zoonoses
pandemic
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/131146
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