Wuhan (China) (AFP)

WHO experts visiting Wuhan judged Tuesday as "the most probable" the track of transmission of the coronavirus by an intermediate animal, at the end of their mission in this city of China struck first by the epidemic.

More than a year after the discovery of the first cases of contamination in this metropolis of 11 million inhabitants, they swept aside the hypothesis of a laboratory leak, without ruling out that of transmission by frozen products - - favored by Beijing.

The most likely theory to explain the origin of the epidemic remains that of the contamination of humans by an "intermediate" animal, said the head of the mission of the World Health Organization (WHO), Peter Ben Embarek, at a press conference.

However, this animal has "not yet been identified," said Liang Wannian, head of the Chinese scientific team.

The hypothesis of a laboratory leak, raised by the administration of former US President Donald Trump, is, however, "highly improbable", said Peter Ben Embarek.

Washington had accused the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which conducts research on very dangerous pathogens, of having let the coronavirus escape, intentionally or not.

Taking the opposite of the initial comments of the WHO, Mr. Ben Embarek also mentioned "the possibility" of transmission of the coronavirus "via the trade of frozen products".

- "Unknown" -

China has in recent months reported numerous samples "positive" for the coronavirus on food products imported from abroad.

The hypothesis of contamination by the cold chain is often mentioned by the Chinese media, because it tends to support the thesis of an importation of the virus.

As for the Huanan market in Wuhan, the first known outbreak of Covid-19 where usual fresh products were sold but also live wild animals, "its exact role" in the spread of the virus "remains unknown", conceded Mr. Ben Embarek.

The presence of rabbits, ferrets and bamboo rats at the point of sale, however, make them potential suspects, noted Marion Koopmans, another member of the WHO delegation.

It was in Wuhan that the first cases of Covid-19 were reported in December 2019. No evidence of patients in the city before that date has been found, said Peter Ben Embarek.

This mission on the origins of the transmission of the virus to humans was considered extremely important to try to better fight against a possible next epidemic.

However, it has struggled to set up, China seeming reluctant to let these world specialists from various disciplines such as epidemiology but also zoology come.

- Pitfalls -

Chinese authorities have been working for months to cast doubt on where the virus may have started infecting humans.

The final sign of the sensitivity of the issue, the press conference first announced by the WHO for 4:00 p.m. local time (08:00 GMT) was then brought forward by half an hour by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, to finally begin shortly before 5.30 p.m.

The mission of the international experts was marked to the end by unpredictability.

At the beginning of January, the head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, had publicly expressed his "disappointment" when the departure of the mission was delayed by a week and some of the experts were already on the plane.

Finally arrived in Wuhan on January 14, investigators had to observe a two-week quarantine, the usual procedure for any traveler coming from abroad.

Followed everywhere by a swarm of Chinese and international journalists, the experts were finally able to tweet and give interviews by phone.

The specialists notably visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the Huanan market.

lxc-bys-ehl-bar / sbr / blb

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