Horseshoe bats have become the source of human infection with a new coronavirus infection. This conclusion was made by scientists from the Medical Center of the State University of Pennsylvania (USA). For decades, the animals have quietly carried the disease-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus, experts say.
Research results published journal Nature Microbiology. Scientists have reconstructed the evolution of the virus by tracing the history of its recombination. They found that pangolins (order of placental mammals — prim. row.) probably did not host the virus, although scaly mammals may have played a role in the pandemic.
The findings from the study show how difficult it will be to detect in advance the viruses that can cause large outbreaks in humans, said study leader, assistant professor of biology at Pennsylvania State University. Maciej Bonnie… “This highlights the need to create a global network of real-time human disease surveillance systems,” the expert said.
Agency Bloomberg notes that tracing the origin of the virus is critical early in an outbreak, as it can allow health authorities to separate humans from the pathogen’s host animal, and then help prevent future crises.
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