Reference news network reported on April 14 that the US media said that a research team discovered six previously unknown viruses. They belong to the same coronavirus family as the pathogen that caused the pandemic of the New Coronary Pneumonia epidemic, namely the SARS-CoV-2 New Coronavirus.
According to a report by the US Newsweek website on April 10, a study published by the US open access journal "Science Public Library · Comprehensive" showed that scientists found these new viruses in freely-moving bats in Myanmar in Southeast Asia. These scientists are led by Mark Walitoto of the National Zoo and Bioconservation Institute of the Smithsonian Institution.
Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that include pathogens that cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and recently discovered new coronary pneumonia. According to the researchers, the virus found in this study does not seem to be closely related to the pathogens that cause the above three diseases.
In this latest study, the researchers aimed at Myanmar ’s free-moving bats in close proximity to human communities, intending to identify coronaviruses in their bodies. To this end, the researchers collected saliva and stool samples from more than 400 bats in 11 species.
These samples were collected at three locations in Myanmar from May 2016 to August 2018. The above location was chosen because of the high probability of human-animal interaction there. As land use changes and humans and wildlife are getting closer, this interaction has become more likely.
Coronavirus was detected in 48 samples collected by scientists, and 7 different types of viruses were found-6 of which were previously unknown. Most of these positive test results come from stool samples.
According to the researchers, the results indicate that bat feces may prove to be an important way for coronavirus to spread to humans, and may pose a threat to Myanmar ’s personnel collecting bat feces. They pointed out that there are limitations to active pathogen surveillance activities in the country, and more coronaviruses are likely to be discovered in the future.
The author of the research report wrote: "Given the potential impact of expanding human activities on public health, there is reason to continue to monitor coronaviruses, especially for other species and places where humans and wildlife come into contact."
The researchers pointed out that further research is needed to determine whether these new coronaviruses pose a risk to humans and what kind of risks.
Susan Murray, director of the Smithsonian Institution Global Health Program and co-author of the research report, said in a statement: "Many coronaviruses may not pose a threat to humans. But when we found these from the source of animals as early as When we are sick, we have a valuable opportunity to study potential threats. Vigilance, research, and education are the best ways to plan ahead before the pandemic occurs. "
Scientists are increasingly aware that bats are a natural reservoir of viruses that cause human public health concerns. In fact, SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, such as the pathogen that causes SARS, are believed to originate from bats. In the case of the new coronavirus, it was thought that the virus had passed through an intermediate host before it spread to humans.
Although the outbreak of the new coronavirus is believed to be related to a seafood market in Wuhan that sells live animals, some scientists believe that the evidence that the virus originated in the market is not conclusive.
According to the author of the study, although bats may spread infectious diseases to humans, they also play an "undisputedly important" role in ecosystems.