Experts warn Ebola virus could spread to Britain through 'bush meat'.

 

Fears are rising that the deadly Ebola virus could be on its way to Britain after experts warned it could spread into the UK through meat.

Professors said ‘bush meat’ which has been smuggled into Britain could be carrying the virus, which has already killed at least 672 people in West Africa.

One scientist said the meat could ‘end up in a market stall in London’ as authorities across the country remained on high alert for the killer disease.

It is feared the bug, which kills up to 90 per cent of its victims, could have contaminated the thousands of pieces of meat which are smuggled into the UK and sold illegally to butchers and markets each year.

While the meat is often disguised as beef, it is often found to actually be the meat of wild animals such as rat, chimpanzee or antelope.

Professor Robert Dingwall, an expert in infectious diseases at Nottingham Trent University, told The Sun: ‘Lots of wild animals carry the virus, and bush meat is often badly prepared.

Humans can contract Ebola from eating or handling infected meat from chimpanzees, fruit bats, forest antelopes and porcupines. 

Of the 7,500 tonnes of illegal meat that enters the country every year, 55 per cent is said to be 'bush meat', which is then distributed through wholesalers or at local markets.

The latest warning comes as British airports and airlines remain on high alert to prevent travellers bringing the deadly virus back to the UK.

Measures are in place to ensure that passengers showing symptoms of the bug are barred from boarding flights heading to the UK.

Anyone who appears ill on arrival into Britain will be held at immigration before being quarantined in highly secure isolation units, such as those at the Royal Free Hospital in North London.

However, because it takes up to three weeks for symptoms to appear, there are fears some victims will slip through the net.

Fears grew last week that it could spread internationally following the death of an American finance consultant in the Nigerian city of Lagos - Africa’s biggest and most densely populated metropolis and an international transport hub.

Patrick Sawyer, 40, had been on his way back to the US after attending the funeral of his sister in Liberia. She had also died from the disease.

The Foreign Office has confirmed it is prepared for a potential outbreak in the UK, saying ‘the Government is confident the UK has experienced people who are ready to deal with anything if it were to arrive here’.