China Warns of Dangerous New Virus from Wild Animals, New Corona Variant? – Healthy

“A number of animals have been found to be susceptible to COVID-19, and the potential for continued viral mutation in these animals, such as stoats, poses a ‘major threat to public health if they re-infect humans’,” wrote the report’s lead author, Gao Fu. , head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Therefore, he urged large-scale screening or monitoring of the SARS-CoV-2 virus specifically for land and marine wildlife, especially those who are susceptible to infection.

“To further formulate prevention and control strategies,” said Gao and co-author Wang Liang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a perspective published in the Chinese CDC’s weekly bulletin.

Not only being able to see the potential for dangerous virus mutations, a thorough screening of animals exposed to COVID-19 can also be an indication of the origin of Corona, which has yet to find a bright spot.

11 species infected

So far, 11 species have been infected with the Corona COVID-19 virus in the real world. Including tigers, gorillas, leopards, to minks.

“Another 14 species have been identified to be infected through laboratory experiments,” Gao said.

“This could be the ‘tip of the iceberg’ for susceptible animals,” warn the study authors, as there is limited laboratory testing of different species for risk of infection, including marine mammals.

Meanwhile in the United States, it was reported that the virus spread through white-tailed deer. This also indicates the risk of the virus being able to mutate and spread to other animals until it re-infects humans, such as SARS-CoV-2.

“As SARS-CoV-2 goes wild, many other wild animals will also become infected with SARS-CoV-2 through direct or indirect contact with wild white-tailed deer,” they wrote, adding that measures such as large-scale culling of farmed minks in Holland is impossible to do with wild animals.(dth)

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