Scientists say Chinese custom of eating bats may be cause of the Coronavirus outbreak

Bats may be the reason for the coronavirus outbreak in China, which has killed at least 17 people and locked down a city of 11 million.

Now, video coming from the region may give scientists a glimpse into how the virus may have spread- people are eating bats for dinner.

The rather gruesome video shows a woman at a fancy restaurant in the Canton region, with the bat seemingly boiled in the broth and still completely intact.

A man can be heard instructing the woman to avoid eating the skin, but to eat the inner meat.

Despite modern science debunking the ancient healing art, bats are used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a series of illnesses, including coughing, Malaria and Gonorrhea.

The Chinese are also known to consume the animal’s feces, claiming it can cure eye diseases.

According to the Daily Mail, around 600 people have been diagnosed with the disease, and three cities have been locked down.

The Lunar New Year events in Beijing have been cancelled, and several city transit lines have shut down.

The virus is similar to SARS, which caused widespread panic in 2003.

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