[Animals] These are the animals in which WHO looks for the origin of the covid

[#Steeven.™]

WHO experts suspect that the polecat badger is one of the possible intermediaries.

From the pangolin to the polecat badger, passing through the snake, the search for the animal that transmitted the coronavirus to man remains open after the latest study by Chinese experts and the WHO, which does not make it clear which one acted as a vector in the disease.

Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) suspect that the
Pole badger is one of the possible intermediaries in the transmission of the coronavirus from bats to humans, but what is this little-known animal?

In their report, these experts recall on page 96 a list of animals that could have played the role of vector, from cats, rabbits or minks, to less common species such as pangolins. The report also cites the civet and the
polecat badger, two species that were carriers of SARS in the early 2000s in China's Canton province (south).

 

The bat
Scientists quickly accused the bat of being at the origin of the coronavirus when it emerged in late 2019. A genetic study in the journal of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in January 2020 found that the coronavirus, detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, it was closely related to a variant that exists in bats, which would be the "native host".

But in fact, bats are hosts for many other variants of the coronavirus. The scientists point out, however, that the covid-19 must have been transmitted by some other species, not yet identified, known as an "intermediate host".

Although the study by experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Chinese researchers, to which AFP had access on Monday, considers a direct transmission between bat and man "possible", it opts for the theory that the virus was transmitted via another intermediary animal that has not yet been identified.

The snake and others ...
A study published shortly after in the Journal of Medical Virology identified snakes as possible intermediaries. But the hypothesis was quickly discarded by other experts convinced that the vector is probably a mammal, as in the case of SARS, which was a civet, a small mammal highly prized in China for its meat.

 

The pangolin

Researchers at the South China University of Agriculture pointed out in February 2020 that the endangered scaly mammal, the pangolin, could be the "missing link" between bats and humans. This nocturnal insectivore was one of the wild animals that were sold in the Huanan market in the city of Wuhan, with which the first cases of covid-19 are related.

 

Vulnerable cats and dogs

In late February 2020, a domestic dog was quarantined in Hong Kong after testing "mildly positive" for the coronavirus after his owner contracted the disease. In the following months, there were cases of infections in cats and dogs, although the latter were very few, all supposedly infected by their owners. Cases of ferrets and hamsters as well as tigers and lions in captivity were also reported. But the scientists pointed out that these domestic animals, even if they are infected, cannot re-infect humans.

 

Minks under suspicion

Suspicion has also fallen on minks, which are bred for their valuable fur. On May 20, Dutch authorities said that these small mammals could have transmitted the coronavirus to a worker at a mink farm in the Netherlands.

On May 26, the WHO said that Dutch workers who had allegedly been infected by minks could be the first known cases of animal-to-human transmission.

In other countries of the European Union, such as Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Spain and Sweden, as well as in the United States, cases of covid-19 were detected in mink farms.

In July, tens of thousands of these animals were slaughtered in the Netherlands and about 100,000 on a farm in Aragon, Spain. The Danish government ordered the slaughter of more than 15 million minks in early November. Copenhagen warned that the mutation through mink, known as "Group 5," could threaten the efficacy of a future vaccine.

The mink, the pangolin ... but also the rabbit, the raccoon, the domestic cat, the civet or the polecat badger. There are a multitude of possible "intermediary hosts" in the latest report by the Chinese experts and the WHO. They even mention other hypotheses, such as transmission through frozen meat.

 

The polecat badger, rabbit or raccoon

The polecat badger's name is self explanatory. It is a member of the mustelids ('Mustelidae'), the family of mammals that includes weasels, badgers, ferrets, otters, polecats, and mink.

With a length of around 33-43 centimeters and elongated shape, it is similar to ferrets. Its weight is 1 to 3 kilos. But they also have white markings on their heads and a stripe on their back, features common to several badger species.

The polecat badger resembles a palm civet which, although not a mustelid, was identified as a vector among bats and humans in the 2003 SARS outbreak. -

 

Where is it located?

The polecat badger has five identified subspecies: Borneo, Chinese, Javanese, Burmese, and Vietnamese. The Chinese subspecies - 'Melogale moschata' - is the most widespread and can be found even in the Indian state of Assam, southern China or the island of Taiwan. They have diverse habitats and are found in subtropical forests and grasslands.

 

How is?

It is most active at dusk and at night, it has an omnivorous diet of seeds, fruits and nuts as well as insects, worms and small amphibians. Its sharp claws allow it to perch - and sleep - in trees. It also defends itself against threats by emitting a smelly discharge from the anal glands when it is in a panic.

 

Is in danger?

No, it is currently in the "least affected" category on the UN Red List. Although it is sometimes hunted for its skin, the polecat badger is not under any pressure. Unlike many species, it adapts quite well to human presence in its habitat.

A study of polecat badgers conducted in the mid-1990s near a town in southeastern China showed that the animals often use the piles of firewood and stones for resting and hunt for food in rice, soybean, and rice fields. cotton or grass. Ranchers often appreciate these animals as they kill pests and do not usually attack chickens or livestock.