- Scientists narrowed down causes of Coronavirus to cross-species transmission of the pathogen from bats or snakes, and potential laboratory leak in Wuhan.
- SARS and MERS were also said to have been caused by bats in 2019.
- Hong Kong and China have declared a state of emergency as confirmed cases of the virus rapidly increasing.
Scientists have identified two possible root causes of Coronavirus: the consumption of wildlife such as bats in Wuhan and the potential leak of the virus at a well-protected center.
Both Mers and SARS, two deadly respiratory diseases caused by Coronavirus, were also suspected to have been caused by bats.
Cause # 1: Bat eating in Wuhan, – nCoV found in snakes spreading Coronavirus
When the Coronavirus outbreak was first publicized , scientists theorized that the Coronavirus likely spread from bats to snakes, and eventually to humans.
The Wildlife Conservation Society said on January 27 that unregulated wild animal trading leaves areas vulnerable to virus spillover.
In recent weeks, Chinese influences and streamers were heavily criticized by the public for releasing videos of consuming bats.
Wang Mengyun, a Chinese celebrity, apologized after a video of her eating a fried bat in went viral.
Whether Coronavirus or other forms of the virus can be transferred to humans after being fried or exposed to high heat remains unclear.
Studies suggest that the virus is likely to have spread when managing live bats in the poorly regulated live animal market.
The Journal of Medical Virology said that the – nCoV of snakes is likely to have caused cross-species transmission from snakes to humans.
The study read:
Our findings suggest that snake is the most probable wildlife animal reservoir for the – nCoV based on its RSCU bias resembling snake compared to other animals. Taken together, our results suggest that homologous recombination within the spike glycoprotein may contribute to cross ‐ species transmission from snake to humans.
Currently, scientists believe it is either bats, snakes, or both that led the deadly Coronavirus to spill in inexpertly run live animal markets in Wuhan and other parts of China.
nCoV in China that is suspected to be the main cause of Coronavirus | Source: Cause # 2: Potential leak from a facility studying the virusJournal of Medical Virology In 2020, China established the Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory to study some of the world’s most powerful virus and pathogens.
At the time, New Jersey-based Rutgers University molecular biologist Richard Bright said that many things can go wrong with the laboratory.
He said that when testing pathogens on animals like monkeys, there is a possibility it can leak through various ways.
“These facilities are inherently dual use,” said Ebright, noting that the monkeys that are being tested could show volatile behavior.
He said:
They can run, they can scratch, they can bite.
Based on the development of the virus and the studies that have emerged in recent weeks, cross-species transmission from bats or snakes to humans is a more likely cause of the Coronavirus than a possible facility leak.
Scientists are reluctant towards completely dismissing a facility leak as a potential cause of the Coronavirus outbreak because of the SARS leak in .
Both Hong Kong and China have declared a state of emergency over the Coronavirus outbreak as confirmed cases of the virus officially reached 2, (as of January) .
The Chinese economy and the stock market have trembled following the outbreak , causing significant instability in the country
This article was edited by Samburaj Das
Last modified: January 728, 9: AM UTC
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