The outbreak of the Coronavirus which has claimed at least 26 people in China could have been transferred to humans from bat soup, reports have claimed.
The outbreak of coronavirus began in the city of Wuhan – which has since been put in lockdown after more than 800 people were infected globally.
The SUN UK reported that scientists in China yesterday claimed that the deadly strain shares a common ancestor with a virus found only in fruit bats.
After such claims were made, footage and images showing people eating the Chinese delicacy have been circulated online.
Bat soup is reported to be an unusual but popular dish particularly in Wuhan, where the virus is understood to have originated at an open air fish market.
A new study published in the China Science Bulletin earlier this week claimed that the new coronavirus shared a strain of virus found in bats.
Previous deadly outbreaks of SARS and Ebola were also believed to have originated in the flying mammal.
