Illegal Wildlife Trade is at the Origin of the Covid-19 Outbreak

[Klipspringer]

This very interesting article points to trade in living pangolins or small carnivores trafficed to China and kept in captivity in the wet markets or during transport as the cause of COVID-19.

The paper is easy to understand for non scientists.

Abstract
Viruses similar to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been discovered in bats of the genus Rhinolophus and in the Sunda pangolin, Manis javanica Desmarest, 1822, suggesting that these animals have played a key role in the emergence of the Covid-19 outbreak in the city of Wuhan, China. In this paper, we review the available data for sarbecoviruses (viruses related to SARS-CoV [2002–2003 outbreak] and SARS-CoV-2) to propose all possible hypotheses on the origin of Covid-19, i. e., involving direct transmission from horseshoe bats to humans, indirect transmission via the pangolin or another animal, with interspecies contamination between either wild animals or animals kept in cage. Present evidence indicates that Rhinolophus bats are the natural reservoir of all sarbecoviruses, and that two divergent SARS-CoV-2-like viruses have circulated in southern China (at least in Guangxi and Guangdong provinces) between August 2017 and March 2019 in captive pangolins destined for sale in wildlife markets. We performed a genetic analysis of seven seized pangolins found to be positive for SARS-CoV-2-like virus using mitochondrial DNA sequences extracted from Sequence Reads Archive data. The results reveal that the same SARS-CoV-2-like virus can be found in animals with distinct haplotypes, which means that they were probably captured in different Southeast Asian regions. Our interpretation is that some pangolins were contaminated in captivity (by other pangolins or by another species to be determined), suggesting that illegal trade of living wild mammals is at the origin of the Covid-19 outbreak. To definitely validate this hypothesis, it is however necessary to discover a virus almost identical to SARS CoV-2 (at least 99% of identity) in animals sold in wet markets. Although pangolins are good candidates, other mammals, such as small carnivores, should not be overlooked.

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[18641547 - Mammalia] Covid-19_ natural or anthropic origin_.pdf

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[Lisbeth]

Our interpretation is that some pangolins were contaminated in captivity (by other pangolins or by another species to be determined), suggesting that illegal trade of living wild mammals is at the origin of the Covid-19 outbreak.

In other thesis, the bat is the culprit a.s.o.

[Klipspringer]

The cave bats transfer it to the pangolins or carnivores in the wild, but only in captive conditions the wild caught pangolins can spread it, an important detail.

[Richprins]

Interesting!

What do the Chinese NOT eat?

[Klipspringer]

This can happen everywhere when there are living animals sold in markets

... and maybe even when these are not wild caught animals.

[Dzombo]

There hasn’t been conclusive proof that COVID originated at this food market
There are strong indications that it came from a lab and the genetics of the virus have been tampered with

[Lisbeth]

There are strong indications that it came from a lab and the genetics of the virus have been tampered with

And also the contrary. Just yesterday I read that a group of scientists exclude the above.