Great vigilance around the world

“The risk of spread of the virus on the national territory is low and no suspected or confirmed case has been registered to date”. Through this statement, the Ministry of Health wanted to reassure Moroccan citizens. A welcome paper in light of the worldwide spread of the mysterious Chinese virus, Corona, and the concern it is causing around the world. It has already killed 54 people in the Middle Kingdom and contaminated 2,000 people, according to the latest estimates. It is not surprising, therefore, that Hong Kong has declared the maximum alert level.
In addition, as of this writing, the virus has spread to Europe where three cases have been recorded in France, as well as the United States, Australia, Thailand and Japan. To guard against this, the Moroccan Ministry of Health said in a press release that it had implemented health checks at international ports and airports “in order to early detect any possible imported cases and stop the spread of the Corona virus”. And to specify that “the risk of spread of the virus on the national territory is low”.
If it is weak, the transmission is nonetheless plausible. Vigilance is essential. In fact, the Coronavirus is transmissible by air or by direct contact with secretions and via a contaminated object. In reality, dubbed “2019-nCov”, this virus is part of a large family that can affect both humans and animals.
In the past, two coronaviruses have already caused serious epidemics. A first caused by SARS-CoV was recorded between November 2002 and July 2003, killing 774 people worldwide. Ten years later, a second appeared in the Middle East. 2300 cases have been recorded with a mortality rate reaching 35%. In question this time, the Mers-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus).
In both cases, it would seem that the animals were a factor of transmission and in particular the bat, considered as an asymptomatic reservoir for SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. This could explain on the one hand why the market of Wuhan in China, where thousands of animals, live and dead, are sold there every day, is the center of the new epidemic and, on the other hand, the questioning of snakes by scientists.
The authors of a study published in the Journal of Medical Virology have carried out a comprehensive analysis of the genetic sequence of the virus. It is supposed to help compare with the other types of coronavirus found in animals in the Wuhan market. Bats, birds, snakes, marmots all passed by. Result: the genome would come from SARS coronaviruses present in bats, but after an additional mutation.
To explain this mutation, the researchers used proteins belonging to those found in snakes, more precisely two species: Bungarus multicinctus (Striped Bongare) and Naja atra (Chinese Cobra). And since elongated reptiles are fond of bats, the mutation takes on its full meaning. That said, to confirm these results, the researchers said they should be combined with other tests in animals potentially causing the epidemic.
An impetuous need to establish vaccines and treatments that have been lacking so far. In the meantime, the authorities are counting on the quarantine containment of patients to avoid any human-to-human transmission. One thing is for sure, most human coronaviruses cause mild or moderate upper respiratory disease, according to the United States Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC). Some coronaviruses even cause pneumonia, runny nose, headache, cough, throat irritation and fever.

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