Wild meat consumption in urban Sierra Leone during Coronavirus-19

Wild meat is associated with an increased zoonotic disease risk. In some West African countries, wild meat consumption declined as the result of official restrictions following Ebola outbreaks in 2013-2016 and was also affected by the current Coronavirus 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 sex on the types of wild meat eaten and reasons for their consumption. We found that more males than females consumed wild meat often, and in both sexes, taste was the main reason for eating wild meat. Age did not affect wild meat consumption among females. Evidence for changes in consumer behaviour in response to zoonotic disease risk was mixed. While some consumers avoided wild meat because of disease, nobody stated it was the primary reason for not eating wild meat, and monkeys (presumed higher zoonotic disease risk) were amongst the species cited as being consumed often. More work is needed to help identify the best pathway towards safe and sustainable consumption of wild meat in urban Sierra Leone