Researchers reject laboratory report

Over the past few months, there have been repeated discussions about whether the latest corona virus should have left the Chinese lab. But according to researchers such as Michael Vorobe, there is still much evidence that it reached humans, from bats to raccoons.

When the corona virus hit the Chinese city in late 2019 Wuhan As shown, they already had many signs of infection from the animal market Origin Took. Very quickly, it was said that the pathogen could have jumped from bats to humans via another animal. However, two years later, the origin of Sars-CoV-2 is still beyond doubt.

Many scientists still believe that the corona came from the animal kingdom to humans via bats – either directly or through other animals. Bangolines and creeping cats are mentioned. Other researchers, however, believe what is now known as laboratory orthoses: they suspect the virus left the Chinese laboratory.

Stephen Goldstein of the University of Utah admits that “the laboratory leak scene is getting a lot of attention in places like Twitter.” However, there is no evidence that the virus was in the laboratory. Along with 20 other experts, Goldstein wrote in an article in the special journal “The Cell” why he adheres to the hypothesis of zoonosis, which spread from the animal world to humans.

More likely to spread zoonotic

Michael Vorobe, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona and co-author of the article, said he always considered zoonotic transmission to be more than just a virus escaping the lab. In the spring he signed a letter in which several scientists Two principles Had announced that it was possible. But since then, his own research and the research of others have made him even more convinced of the hypothesis of animals. This is very strongly supported by the data.

Vorobe explains that laboratory orthoses may be distracted from what actually happened. Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. A few weeks ago, Worobi differentiated this with a chronology in which he linked the first known human cow-19 case to the Huanan fish market in Wuhan, where many live animals were sold.

In their article for “Cell” magazine, Goldstein and his team of colleagues point out that Sars-CoV-2 is now the ninth documented corona virus in humans. Everything known so far has appeared in the animal world.

Wildlife as a link

Many experts consider wildlife to be an intermediate link in the exchange chain between bats and humans. He suspects raccoon dogs to be intermediate hosts, Vorobi explains. These animals are susceptible to corona virus and are sold in the Huanan market. The researcher insists that the “gold standard source” for this is an infected animal from there. But it is too late: according to all reports, the market has been completely cleaned up.

In a joint report earlier this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) and China named the most likely scenario of transmission of the virus from bats to humans via another animal. However, for the first known Govt-19 case, they listed a person who had no connection with the Huanan market and its first signs were dated December 8, 2019.

Lab case orthoses lawyers drew up the case, Vorobe says. Because the person lived near the Institute of Virology in Wuhan. After his own research, the person said that the disease was a dental problem in early December – and by mid-December Govt 19 had no symptoms. Vorobe clearly discovered his first case in the Huanan market – with signs prior to December 11th.

Sars-CoV-2 reaches many animal species

Since the emergence of Govt-19, the virus has reached a whole range of animal species: from domestic cats to domesticated mink and deer and zoo animals. According to U.S. health officials, the virus is commonly transmitted by humans. It is said that the risk of infection by infected animals is low.

Nevertheless, fears are growing that new strains of the virus may return from the animal kingdom. David O’Connor, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said: “Around the world, even if animals were brought under control by Govt-19, such variants could still be cultivated.” We do not have a large giraffe vaccine program in the future. “

It is necessary to prevent the illegal wildlife trade

The first assumptions are made that the new Omikron variant may also have been developed in this way. Michael Vorobe also explains that he is looking for genetic clues to indicate this.

Experts agree that dangerous viruses from the animal kingdom will continue to spread to mankind in the future. To prevent this, more is needed than to stop the illegal wildlife trade. It means tackling global issues that increase the dangerous links between humans and animals: above all, climate change, habitat destruction and animal exploitation.

By Laura Unger, AP