<<Print>>

The spine-chilling Ebola virus is not only causing fear and panic in hospitals, churches, schools and working environments but now, it is weighing heavily on chop bar operators, as well as bush meat vendors, rearers and hunters. Currently, lovers of bush meat like bats, monkeys, antelopes, porcupines and grasscutters, among others, are shying away from such delicacies and rather going in for poultry, fish or chevon (goat meat). Unfortunately, the tables have changed swiftly as in recent times consumers prefer bush meat to poultry because of the bird flu crisis while the alleged use of poisonous substances for fishing have also thrown fish sellers off balance for a while. However, they are now enjoying increases in their sales. Situation at chop bars A visit by The Mirror to some popular chop bars within the city revealed low patronage in some of them. While some operators attribute the low patronage to the Ebola virus, others feel the current cholera outbreak has worsened the situation. At the various chop bars and restaurants located in the Rawlings Park area of Accra's downtown core, a handful of people could be seen enjoying lunch. Most patrons were playing it safe by eating banku with grilled tilapia or fufu and fish, chevon or chicken. Enquiries from some of the bar attendants indicated a drastic reduction in the demand for grasscutter or antelope meat due to information making the rounds. Some of them have therefore responded accordingly by not preparing soups with bush meat. Operators were, however, emphatic that they had alternatives to bush meat so there was no cause for patrons to shy away from their favourite chop bars. Interestingly, a group of gentlemen who were at the Bush Canteen at East Legon were busily savouring some grasscutter and snails, regardless of the Ebola scare. They proposed conspiracy theories for the scare, including government�s ploy to protect the animals at the game reserves and forest as well as Western propaganda that blames Africans for all diseases including HIV/AIDS. Frustrated sellers and rearers At the Adabraka Market, which is a popular destination for the sale of assorted bush meat and smoked fish, some sellers explained their frustrations to this reporter. Madam Akua Adomaaa, who has been dealing with various bush meat over the past 36 years, lamented that the market had not been good due to the current economic crisis. However, chop bar operators used to be one of their major customers but now with the "Debola" (Ebola) they were stuck with surplus supplies since their stock was not moving. �I�m totally confused about this whole sickness. Initially they said bat meat wasn�t good so we stopped bringing down bat meat. Now they have added other animals as well. This is a busy market which attracts people from abroad who are interested in sending bush meat abroad, but their interest has waned. Some of us sit here the whole day without selling anything,� she complained. Kwasi Affum, who rears grasscutter at Madina, also lamented that for sometime now most of his customers do not place orders as they used to. Instead, they request for mushrooms and snails, which he also stocks, and reject the grasscutters. What is Ebola virus? The Ebola virus causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever. It is one of the most frightening of all epidemics because of its symptoms, high mortality (30 to 90 per cent) and current expansion that is getting out of control. The virus takes its name from the Ebola River close to the area of the Democratic Republic of Congo where the disease was first catalogued in the 1970s. Ebola continues spreading through Central and West African countries, and the total known mortality now exceeds 1,000. In fact, the spread of Ebola adds to its mystery. According to researchers, it is not spread easily since it is not an airborne disease like the flu. However, its spread through bodily fluids exploits our social rituals and practices. According to researchers, Ebola seems to begin when hunters kill and consume infected animals that have been poorly cooked or even merely come into contact with the meat as they bring it to market and/or prepare it. The droppings of infected animals on edible vegetation are also a source of infection. The animals most pointed to as carriers of Ebola virus are the various species of fruit bats. These large bats are frequently dried and eaten directly or used for soup. Once a person has contacted the disease, the virus readily spreads without further spillover from infected animals. The profuse bleeding and expulsion of other bodily fluids from infected people often spread the infection to a large number of those who touch the patients, their clothing, or fluids. This poses a serious risk to caregivers; be they health care workers or family members. Adding to this way of spreading Ebola are rituals involving the washing and touching of the dead. Precautions The alarming spread of the disease has forced authorities in Ghana to take multiple precautions such as postponing the reopening of universities in the country. Ghana has so far been spared from an actual case of Ebola. However, this has not stopped universities in Europe and North America from issuing travel advisories against travelling to Ghana. This current outbreak of Ebola started from Guinea towards the tail end of last year, and again, it is blamed on bush meat, which ironically, is considered healthier than meat from domestic animals because it is leaner and free from chemicals. Complicating the matter is the fact that not all wildlife pose the same level of risk. For example, the Head of Disease Surveillance at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Badu Sarkodie, recently revealed that bats in Buoyem in the Brong Ahafo Region appear to have carried the virus at some point, unlike their cousins perching on the neem trees of 37 Hospital in Accra. Policymakers are also aware that without a substitute for bush meat, many people in rural areas will continue to rely on bushmeat. There are also increasing calls for a comprehensive approach that includes extensive public education rather than a reliance on enforcement alone to halt the progress of this disease. Researchers writing in the respected medical journal, The Lancet, on their observations of counter-Ebola policies in Sierra Leone just last month, noted that "Travel bans were likely ineffective in stopping cross-border journeys on secondary roads, and bush meat could (and can) still be found in local markets and villages, even if demand has decreased�. What is certain is that these policies (and the ways that they were communicated) raised anxiety and, in some places, fuelled rumours that led to counter-productive behaviours. Improved communication by health officials with the media, community leaders, health professionals, and the general public is necessary to reduce misinformation and improve compliance with prevention and control measures that have been proven effective. Ebola versus kola nuts Another interesting dimension the Ebola virus is taking in other African countries Like Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and on social media indicates that some people believe Ebola can be cured by chewing bitter kola nuts. A few rounds made by this reporter in some of the Zongo communities in Accra and Nima Market where bitter kola nuts are delicacies revealed that people had little knowledge about the Ebola-healing potential of kola. While no vaccine or cure has been found for the virus yet by medical professionals, on Tuesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) okayed the use of experimental vaccines. This has prompted the Public Health Agency of Canada to announce the donation of a made-in-Canada experimental Ebola vaccine to the affected West African countries.