A recent collaborative study, led by researchers at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the University of Arizona, has clarified the path on the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Published in the scientific journal Cell, the analysis confirms that the virus originated in the Huanan fish market, located in the district of WuhanChina, where various species of wildlife were sold.
This study is based on a meticulous analysis of more than 800 samples collected in and around the Huanan Seafood Market since January 1, 2020.
The samples, obtained by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), included swabs from the floor, walls and surfaces of stalls selling wild animals. Researchers sequenced the collected material, seeking to identify the RNA of all organisms present, from viruses to bacteria and plants.
The results suggest that infected animals were introduced into the market between November and December 2019, triggering the spread of the virus that affected millions of people around the world. “This is one of the sets of most significant data we have on the origin of the pandemic“, the research team notes, highlighting the importance of this work in the context of global public health.
Wildlife and the spread of the virus
Among the most surprising findings was the identification of “raccoon dogs” and “civet cats,” two species that were found in the same stalls where the virus was detected. In fact, genetic traces of SARS-CoV-2 were found in samples taken from these animals. Although many of the key species had already been removed from the market before the researchers arrived, the data indicate that the connection between the animals and the virus is undeniable.
Common raccoon dogs, which were found to be the most abundant species in the samples, have been shown to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. Researchers warn that the introduction of wild animals into densely populated urban environments can create ideal conditions for the transmission of viruses between species, something that was already evident in the SARS outbreak in 2002.
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