The BBC reports that Guinea has banned the sale and consumption of bats to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, its health minister has said. Bats, a local delicacy, appeared to be the “main agents” for the Ebola outbreak. People who eat bats often boil them into a spicy pepper soup. The soup is sold in village stores where people gather to drink alcohol.
The virus in Guinea has now killed sixty-two people, with suspected cases reported in neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Ebola is spread by close contact. There is no known cure or vaccine. It kills between 25% and 90% of victims, depending on the strain of the virus. Symptoms include internal and external bleeding, diarrhea and vomiting.