A FOOD market at the centre of the deadly coronavirus outbreak has claimed they sold live koalas, snakes, rats and wolf pup to locals to eat.

The Huanan Seafood market in Wuhan, China is under investigation with officials believing the coronavirus originated from a wild animal that was sold at the venue.

In a desperate attempt to contain the killer virus, the market — labelled "ground zero" by local authorities — has since been shut down.

So far, the highly-contagious virus has killed 17 people and infected hundreds around Asia.

A translation of the markets' advertising board revealed how they sold live foxes, crocodiles, wolf puppies, salamanders, snakes, rats, peacocks, porcupines and even koalas.

Amidst the global health threat, stunned locals took to Chinese social media site Weibo to show their surprise.

One user, clearly shocked at the sale of live animals, wrote: "Just take a closer look at the viral wild animal menu — they even eat koalas.

"There's nothing Chinese people won't eat."

Just take a closer look at the viral wild animal menu — they even eat koalas

According to the list, there were 112 live animals and animal products readily available to purchase.

Coronavirus represents a wide variety of viruses present in animals that can, in certain circumstances, jump to humans.

Amid fears it could become a global pandemic, the Chinese government has put the city into lockdown and plans to shut down the airport and public transport.

More than 500 people have been infected, but there are fears that figure could now be as high as 10,000.

Experts now fear that the new strain is "as deadly as Spanish flu", which killed 50 million people in 1918.

Professor Neil Ferguson, an expert in mathematical biology at Imperial College London, said the death rate was "roughly the same as for The Spanish flu epidemic, at around one in 50".

Several countries increased border health checks to guard against the disease's spread, including Australia, the US, the UK and Russia.

In worrying circumstances, people are being treated for suspected coronavirus in Britain after flying in from China.

Recent footage also emerged today showing a suspected coronavirus victim being wheeled out of an airport in a quarantine box.

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