Study sites and participants
The Yunnan, Guangxi and Guangdong provinces in southern China were selected for this study because of their historical importance in the origin of emerging infectious diseases,16 diverse wildlife population within protected forests17 and intensive wildlife farming and trade activities.18 Three sites in rural areas were identified in each province where our previous research had found numerous bat and rodent populations harbouring viruses with pathogenic potential for humans, at sites close to human communities.19–21
Enrolment criteria for participation in an ethnographic interview in this study included: individuals were residents of the target community, aged ≥18 y, with prior contact with live animals directly (e.g. by raising, hunting, trading or slaughtering live animals) or indirectly (e.g. through animals living in or entering dwellings/crops, bat roosts within roofs, animals invading stored food or crops). We targeted a gender breakdown of 35% of participants being female and aimed to have a diverse sample of participants from different age groups and levels of power and influence in the community.