Scientists weren’t expecting it. A new coronavirus was detected in Malaysia, in patients hospitalized – including children – for pneumonia between 2017 and 2018, and all returned home cured. What surprised the researchers, however, was the animal through which this new coronavirus was transmitted to humans: the dog. This discovery was made thanks to a tool developed at the American University of Duke, intended to detect multiple coronaviruses, including those so far unknown, in order to help avoid the next disaster. And so it was after analyzing samples from three and four years old that scientists were able to spot the disease.
They have not yet been able to determine with certainty whether this canine coronavirus had indeed caused pneumonia, or whether it was only present in patients who were otherwise ill. In addition, it is unlikely, given its genetic characteristics, that it is currently circulating from human to human. Despite everything, “what we promote […], it is more diagnoses to monitor five different viral families, which we think are the most problematic and likely to trigger epidemics, ”explains Agence France-Presse Gregory Gray.
A new coronavirus called CCoV-HuPn-2018
Coronaviruses have not been studied for many years because they were mainly associated with common colds. This changed after the onset of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) in 2002 and 2012, whose intermediate hosts were civet and camel, respectively. Most researchers also believe that Sars-CoV-2, the virus causing Covid-19 disease, has animal origin.
Lishan Xiu, a Chinese student at Duke, has thus developed a universal test to detect coronaviruses, by looking for the commonalities between the different members of this family of viruses. The test was then used on 301 samples from patients in Malaysia, eight of which were found to have the canine virus.To confirm this astonishing result, virologist Anastasia Vlasova of Ohio State University sequenced her genome. The canine origin of the virus, called CCoV-HuPn-2018, has been confirmed, while also presenting components characteristic of a passage in cats and pigs.
All affected patients recovered
Some mutations were also consistent with a possible adaptation that would allow human-to-human transmission, but it’s impossible to say how long this evolution will take – maybe decades, maybe it never will, depending. Gregory Gray. All the patients returned home cured. “But being admitted (to the hospital) with pneumonia usually means you’re sick enough, the doctors are worried about you,” notes the professor.
The fact that his team was able to detect this virus in humans thanks to a small pilot study shows, according to him, that there is a problem: “We are missing the train,” he believes. “If we increase the surveillance of people working with pigs, poultry, cattle, we will be impressed by what their immune system is facing,” he predicts. “This does not mean that the next pandemic will be triggered in them, but it would be interesting to study. “
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
