Small game meat associated with African wildlife, better known as bushmeat, is not an uncommon finding in the United States, where it is considered fine cuisine by some West African communities living in this country. According to an April 14 article in the Wall Street Journal bushmeat, often cured or smoked, enters the U.S. through the mail and in shipping containers. Smugglers also resort to packing smoked monkey or cane rat in personal suitcases. Unfortunately, only a fraction of the bushmeat coming into the U.S. is seized by veterinarians working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The concerns are twofold. Number one, many wildlife species in Africa are being eaten to extinction with the number one threat to many species not being a reduction in environment but the bushmeat trade, where certain animals such as bats, monkeys and rodents are considered a food delicacy. The second concern is the fact that scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified two strains of simian foamy virus in bushmeat. The virus can infect humans but hasn’t been conclusively linked to known diseases, however, some scientists feel this virus may be responsible for the first cases of Human Insufficiency Virus (HIV).
Peter G Fisher, DVM
