However, it has now came to light that bat dishes are indeed super popular in some countries after the virus was linked to the consumption of said animal.

Taking note of this, several restaurants in the Indonesian city of Manado have reportedly removed bat dishes from their menus over fears of contracting the virus.

Fear of contracting the virus

The Jakarta Post reported that the bat dishes include bat meat stewed in coconut milk and paniki (bat stew or curry).

“We haven’t sold [bat dishes] for a week. We are worried because we’ve learned that bats are carrying the virus,” restaurant owner Mereyke told the news site, adding that bat dishes were among his restaurants’ best sellers.

Another restaurant owner by the name of Nicolina Pelealutol told the website that although she had removed paniki from the menu of her restaurants, she will still cook the dish for personal orders and regular customers.

The report also quoted Bloomberg as saying that bat meat is no longer sold at a wet market in the Indonesian city of Tomohon in North Sulawesi, known as the Indonesia’s “scariest market” as it reportedly sells dogs, cats, rats, wild boars and snakes.

This news is encouraging because experts have speculated that bats may be the original source of the virus and a Duke-NUS medical school team has found that bats can carry pathogens without suffering from the disease.