A highly homologous SARS-like coronavirus (SARS-like CoV) was isolated by the Stone Research Group of Chinese Academy of Sciences, which further confirmed that Chinese bat was the source of SARS virus. However, the existing epidemiological evidence and bioinformatics analysis show that civet cats in the wild animal market are the direct source of SARS-CoV.
After careful study, it was found that civets in northern China did not carry SARS-CoV, and only civets in Guangdong carried SARS-CoV that winter. This shows that civet cats may be just an intermediate host of the virus. It may be infected by Chinese bats and get the virus from them.
Extended data
Since 20 1 1, the stone research team of China Academy of Sciences has been monitoring SARS coronavirus for a long time in a cave in Yunnan. The results show that all the genomic components of SARS coronavirus can be found in the natural gene pool of SARS coronavirus.
Through further recombination analysis, experts found evidence of frequent recombination at multiple sites within these SARS coronavirus genes, and speculated that the direct ancestor of SARS coronavirus may be produced through a series of recombination between the ancestral strains of these bat SARS coronavirus.
Experts said that the study provided new insights for understanding the origin and evolution of SARS coronavirus, and revealed that bats in China carried different strains of SARS-like coronavirus, which had the possibility of cross-species transmission to humans, and provided an important basis for the prevention of related diseases.
Baidu Encyclopedia-SARS Event
People's Daily Online-Did you find the initiator of -SARS coronavirus?