Fear of another pandemic from newly discovered viruses in China’s wet markets

Is the world about to witness another pandemic to occur soon while it is still struggling to contain the COVID-19 virus? Science is contemplating this question and if it becomes a reality this time too, the origin of it will be China’s infamous wet markets.

There was an outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic with severe acute respiratory syndrome originating from wildlife species sold in the wet markets of China last year. In 2019, the first case of SARS-CoV2 virus causing COVID-19 was detected in Wuhan, China. China maintains that the first cases of SARS-CoV-2 likely emerged from human to animal transmission at a wet market in Wuhan. COVID-19 has so far caused 253.6 million infections and 5.11 million deaths.

Researchers have identified 18 mammalian viruses from China’s infamous wet markets that pose a high risk to humans and domestic animals. According to scientists from China, the US, Belgium, and Australia, they discovered game animals that are commonly hunted or consumed as exotic foods in China. These scientists believe the food animals have been reservoirs for SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2.

Researchers’ findings
For the first time, the team examined many mammalian species and discovered 71 viruses with 45 new ones. Since the onset of COVID-19, some of these have been banned by the Chinese government. Across China, they analyzed 1,725 game animals representing 16 species and five mammalian orders. Humans and domestic animals may be at high risk from eighteen viruses examined.

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Moreover, the team found that Civets (Paguma larvata) carried the most high-risk viruses. Civets are cat-like carnivores and have been known to harbor Coronaviruses. Additionally, the team identified cross-species transmission of coronaviruses from bats to civets. Coronaviruses have been found in bats and hedgehogs, and in birds and porcupines. Civets and Asian badgers were also found to be infected by the avian influenza virus H9N2. Researchers also examined potential human-to-wildlife virus transmission cases.