[Bacterial and viral epidemics of zoonotic origin; the role of hunting and cutting up wild animals].

Since the Prehistoric times hunting has been a vital activity for man. However, this may account for the contamination of the hunter, his family and relatives. Infections may occur by direct contact with blood or tissues of infected animal during handling and cutting up preys and when preparing or eating meat, or also when bitten by injured animal. Apes and antelopes hunting in sub-Saharan Africa proves to be particularly important since it has been well established that the recent or previous emergence of some viral zoonosis (Ebola, Aids, T lymphotropic viruses and Monkeypox) resulted from hunting and poaching. Moreover predation among different species of non human primates such as that practised by chimpanzees against monkeys, has led to the construction of recombinant simian Lentiviruses, such as SIV cpz able to infect man and then spread over the entire mankind as it was the case with HIV-1. SARS is another possible example of the zoonotic risks represented by the sale, handling and cutting up Chinese wild animals such as Himalayan civets for culinary purposes.