IN Malaysia has discovered a new coronavirus transmitted by dogs.
How the conclusion was reached, reports AFP:
When the COVID-19 pandemic spread, Professor Gregory Gray of Duke University in the United States commissioned one of his students to develop a test capable of detecting a variety of coronaviruses, even strangers.
After the test was developed and its effectiveness was proven, a new pathogen was discovered in Malaysia, especially in children admitted for the treatment of pneumonia. They were hospitalized in the period 2017-2018. And the virus most likely had a rather unexpected vector – dogs.
Specialists could not determine with certainty whether the canine coronavirus really caused the pneumonia or was simply present in the sick patients.
Moreover, it is unlikely, given its genetic characteristics, that it was transmitted from person to person. However, Prof. Gregory Gray and his team closely monitor 5 viral families that can cause problems and cause epidemics.
Lishon Xiu is a Chinese student at Duke University who developed the universal test that looks for common features of different viral families. It was used to analyze 301 samples taken from Malaysian patients, 8 of whom had the canine virus.
To confirm this surprising result, virologist Anastasia Vlasova of the University of Ohio sequenced his genome.
Thus, the canine origin of the virus, named CCoV-HuPn-2018, was proven. Some mutations have been able to adapt the pathogen for human-to-human transmission. But scientists could not say how long such a development would take. Whether in a few decades or not at all, as Professor Gregory Gray believes.
All Malaysian patients in this group were discharged from hospital and recovered. But Professor Gray is still of the opinion that there is a problem. Once a small-scale study, such as that of his team, found the canine virus in humans, more needs to be done.
“The surveillance of people working with pigs, birds and livestock needs to be multiplied, as their immune systems are under unexpected pressure,” said Gregory Gray.
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