Newly obtained genetic data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) have identified the pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 as an animal, particularly in Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where the first COVID-19 cases were concentrated. Associated with tanuki. , a group of independent scientists told the World Health Organization this week.
Genetic data are derived from environmental swabs collected on the market by the China CDC in January 2020. The presence of these swabs has been known for some time, as has the fact that they are positive for SARS-CoV-2 genetic material. But in late January this year, scientists at the China CDC uploaded additional genetic data from these swabs to his public genetic database called GISAID, which he later deleted, the WHO said. increase. That additional, previously undisclosed data was that SARS-CoV-2-positive swabs also contained large amounts of genetic material that matched very well with human and animal genetic material, particularly that of raccoon dogs. is shown.
The raccoon dog, a fox-like animal with a face that closely resembles a raccoon, is known to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and was known to be sold in the market.
Such intimate mixing of virus and genetic material from susceptible animals at the epicenter of an outbreak is the main competing hypothesis for laboratory biosafety breaches, namely the “laborique.” Two genetic lineages of SARS-CoV-2 were identified in humans early on, suggesting that two separate interspecies jumps migrated to humans.
In a spillover scenario, the virus could have leapt from bat reservoirs to humans via raccoon dogs, considered intermediate hosts. This is how many animal viruses, especially her SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses, transfer to humans. After the 2003 SARS outbreak caused by SARS-CoV-1data suggested that palm civets and potentially other wildlife, including raccoon dogs, functioned as intermediate hosts in wildlife markets much like the Huanan market. MERS-CoV, a coronavirus, is also known to spread to people through dromedary camels.
data research
The newly discovered genetic data from the South China market has not yet been made public and much of what is known comes from media coverage of the data.The Atlantic first reported the existence of the data on Thursday.
But the WHO confirmed at a press conference on Friday that it first learned of the data on Sunday and on Tuesday convened SAGO, the agency’s scientific advisory group on the origins of new pathogens. An international scientist who was able to download the data before it was removed presented preliminary analysis to the advisory group.
Scientists working on the analysis include Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona. Christian Andersen, a virologist at the Scripps Research Institute in California. Edward Holmes, biologist at the University of Sydney. and Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the Institute of Vaccine and Infectious Diseases at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Florence Debarre, a theorist who specializes in evolutionary biology and works for the French national research institute CNRS, has been credited with investigating the data that first discovered the data on GISAID before it was deleted in early March. I’m here.
According to media reports, the data was removed from GISAID after international scientists analyzing the data reached out to China’s CDC to collaborate.
“The big problem now is that this data exists and is not readily available to the international community. Needless to say,” says Maria Van Kerkhov. WHO’s technical director for COVID-19 said on Friday.
Through its research into the origin of SARS-CoV-2, China has pushed the dubious hypothesis that the virus originated entirely outside its borders, suggesting that it was introduced to the South China market at some point via imported frozen foods. . It has strongly objected to possible leaks from research institutions, and has previously denied the existence of wild animals in South China that may have acted as intermediate hosts.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus echoed Van Kerkhove’s complaints and emphasized that the agency is again calling for transparency from China.
“These data could have been shared three years ago and should have been shared,” Tedros said on Friday. “We continue to urge China to be transparent in sharing data, conduct necessary investigations, and share results. It’s scientifically essential.”
