Статья

Are pangolins scapegoats of the COVID-19 outbreak-CoV transmission and pathology evidence?

S. Choo, J. Zhou, X. Tian, S. Zhang, S. Qiang, S. O'Brien, K. Tan, S. Platto, K. Koepfli, A. Antunes, F. Sitam,
2021

The COVID-19 outbreak has infected over 6 million people across the world. The origin of COVID-19 coronavirus (CoV) remains unknown, although pangolins have been suggested as potential hosts. We investigated two pangolins seized in Guangdong Province, China. Molecular screening revealed CoV in one pangolin (“Dahu”), while another (“Meidong”) was infected by Ehrlichia ruminantium. Dahu exhibited difficulty breathing, infections of lung, intestines, and nostrils, as revealed by computed tomography imaging and necropsy. Previous phylogenetic analyses showed bat coronavirus RaTG13 is closer to COVID-19 CoV compared to pangolin coronavirus. Over 20 caregivers have had close physical contact with CoV-positive Dahu, but none became infected with CoV. Our data suggest that pangolins are unlikely the natural reservoir or secondary hosts of COVID-19 CoV. Pangolins seems to be victims infected by CoV carried by a not yet unidentified natural reservoir host species, perhaps due to their weakened immune system. © 2020 The Authors. Conservation Letters published by Wiley Periodicals LLC

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  • 1. Version of Record от 2021-04-27

Метаданные

Об авторах
  • S. Choo
    Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
  • J. Zhou
    China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), Beijing, China
  • X. Tian
    Suzhou Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
  • S. Zhang
    Laboratory of Genomics Diversity-Center for Computer Technologies, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
  • S. Qiang
    Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, United States
  • S. O'Brien
    Faculty of Science, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • K. Tan
    National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, United States
  • S. Platto
    Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
  • K. Koepfli
    CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
  • A. Antunes
    Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Ex-Situ Conservation Division, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • F. Sitam
    Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Jianghan University, Wuhan, China
Название журнала
  • Conservation Letters
Том
  • 13
Выпуск
  • 6
Страницы
  • -
Издатель
  • Wiley-Blackwell
Тип документа
  • Letter
Тип лицензии Creative Commons
  • CC
Правовой статус документа
  • Свободная лицензия
Источник
  • scopus