Evidence points to Wuhan market as source of covid-19 outbreak

  • 📰 newscientist
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 57 sec. here
  • 3 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 29%
  • Publisher: 51%

Viruses News

Covid-19

Genetic testing on samples collected during the earliest days of the covid-19 outbreak suggests it is likely that the virus spread from animals to humans at the Huanan seafood market

, China, has identified a shortlist of wild animals being sold there that were the most likely source of the virus that sparked theAn alternative suggestion is that the virus escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where staff were known to be studying bat coronaviruses, but not SARS-CoV-2.

Contrary to some statements made by Chinese investigators, the team found evidence for a variety of wildlife being sold at the market that could have been an intermediate host for the virus, including common raccoon dogs (Importantly, traces of these animals were found in exactly the same stalls as SARS-CoV-2, says Holmes. “This suggests – but does not prove – that the animals were infected. Hence, it is very likely that SARS-CoV-2 emerged in a live animal market.

The genetic studies of the virus in the earliest covid-19 cases revealed that few, if any, people were infected prior to the market outbreak, the team reports. However, it couldn’t rule out the possibility that the virus was brought to the market by an infected person handling animals.at NOVA University Lisbon, Portugal, says the study highlights the preventable risks posed by the human-wildlife interface in Huanan market, and the need to mitigate these risks in similar locations.

“This included one influenza virus with zoonotic spillover potential and an animal virus closely related to others that had caused devastating animal outbreaks.”

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 541. in İE

Ireland Ireland Latest News, Ireland Ireland Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Genetic tracing at the Huanan Seafood market further supports COVID animal originsA new international collaborative study provides a list of the wildlife species present at the market from which SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, most likely arose in late 2019. The study is based on a new analysis of metatranscriptomic data released by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Source: physorg_com - 🏆 388. / 55 Read more »

Genetic analysis of animals in Wuhan market in 2019 may help find COVID-19's originScientists searching for the origins of COVID-19 have zeroed in on a short list of animals that possibly helped spread it to people
Source: ABC - 🏆 471. / 51 Read more »

Covid origins: Genetic ghosts suggest pandemic started in marketA team of scientists say it is 'beyond reasonable doubt' the Covid pandemic started with infected animals.
Source: bbchealth - 🏆 143. / 63 Read more »