Scientists have determined that animals such as bamboo rats, civet cats and raccoon dogs could have spread the virus at the Wuhan market. What other animals could be involved?
Tl;dr
- New study strengthens theory of animal origin of Covid-19.
- Several animal species could have transmitted the virus in Wuhan.
- Laboratory biosafety and wildlife trade are concerns.
On the trail of the origin of Covid-19
A recent study, published this Thursday, September 19, 2024, sheds new light on the enigmatic origin of Covid-19, now a five-year-old question. According to the latter, it is very likely that the first carriers of the virus were wild animals, introduced to a market in Wuhan (China) towards the end of 2019.
Two theories in play
The origin of the virus is a subject of intense debate in the international scientific community. The main hypotheses are either a leak from a Wuhan laboratory where similar viruses were being studied, or transmission by an intermediary animal that infected people attending a local market.
This latter hypothesis is favored by the majority of scientists.
The role of wild animals
The study is based on the analysis of more than 800 samples taken from the Wuhan market. The samples, collected in January 2020, were taken from a variety of surfaces, including stalls selling wild animals and sewers.
Florence Débarre, a CNRS researcher and co-author of the study, warns: “ It is not possible to say for sure whether the animals at the market were infected or not. »
However, the study confirmed that animal species such as raccoon dogs and civets were present in the market at the end of 2019. These animals were located in the southwest corner of the market, an area where many SARS-CoV-2 viruses, responsible for Covid-19, have been detected.
Wuhan Market: Epicenter of the Pandemic?
The study also found that the original strain of the virus found in the market samples is genetically identical to that of the pandemic as a whole, suggesting that the market could be the starting point for the spread of the virus.
James Wood, an epidemiologist at the University of Cambridge, said the study provides very strong evidence that the market’s wildlife stalls were a hotbed of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to him, ” This work is important“, because despite global efforts to strengthen laboratory biosecurity, little has been done to limit the trade in live wild animals, which is a key driver of past and future pandemic outbreaks.
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