Researchers in the African nation of Cameroon are trying to stop the spread of viruses - such as HIV - by educating villagers about monkey meat

United Press International:

The researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore are studying blood from monkeys, in an attempt to find viruses that could conceivably jump from apes to humans, The Baltimore Sun reported. The goal is to find emerging diseases and stop them from spreading around the world.

Cameroon is not far from west-central Africa, where, decades ago, chimpanzees are believed to have planted the seeds for the AIDS pandemic.

Monkey meat, or "bushmeat" is a common and popular fare in the west African forest. Researchers have been warning villagers not to cook the meat if they have a wound on their hand.

Also, it is advised not to sling dead monkeys over one's back, as blood can be transferable if the person has cuts or scrapes.

Monkey meat and its hazards

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