I read some articles recently about the relative likelihood of a new virus developing in wild animals and then spreading through hunters… and now I’m veeery worried because I’ve got some hunters in my family, see them quite often and I’m pretty sure they don’t really care about hygiene after dealing with dead animals. Could anyone give me an evaluation about how worried I should be? How big are the chances? It’s mostly wild boar and deer, and we are in germany in case it depends on the climate zone.

Hi there, I hope this is the right place to ask! I’m extremely worried right now and since I don’t know how to start researching about this (because it is pretty specific) I thought I’d consult Reddit. My father is a hunter and regularity cooks the meat he got himself or from another hunter. He just did so today. Throughout the whole process, I don’t think he used soap once, just some water for washing his hands. But he touched everything in the kitchen and prepared the meat directly on the kitchen counter and only wiped it with water afterwards. I’m feeling very uncertain about the safety of this, especially since I remember in the movie Contagion, the outbreak started pretty similar. Unfortunately, I can’t really talk to him about this, because I know he’d get annoyed instantly and wouldn’t care (we’ve had similar talks before). I’d be very glad if someone could give me some input about the possibility of this and a possible approach on my side. Thank you in advance!