Which animal is most likely to host the next deadly coronavirus?
With the Covid-19 pandemic evoking a sense of urgency, researchers are finding new ways to predict the answer to that question.
“We’re thinking about the next one,” said Maya Wardeh of Liverpool University, one of the authors of a paper in the journal Nature Communications which found that there are far more mammals that could be infected. with more coronaviruses than previously known.
Several countries around the world are involved in or funding programs to test wild animals that have been linked to revolution in the past or are considered high-risk, such as bats and rodents. Samples are collected and ordered to identify novel viruses including those with infectious potential. Efforts are also underway, including one at Ohio State University, to test domestic, wild, zoo and livestock animals to see if they can detect SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes Covid’s diseases. -19.
The Covid-19 pandemic has inspired additional strategies to better measure risks, make more accurate predictions and then introduce a home where animals need closer monitoring.