Consumers are the most dangerous! The study found that rats sold in Southeast Asian markets and restaurants carry a variety of coronaviruses

One study showed that rats sold in Southeast Asian markets and restaurants carry multiple coronaviruses.

As live animals moved from the wild to the table, the positive ratio increased, suggesting they contracted the virus in the process.

The strain detected, unlike Covid-19, is not considered to pose a hazard to human health.

But scientists have long warned that the wildlife trade could be a hotbed of disease. A team of researchers from the U.S. and Vietnam said the mix of multiple coronaviruses, and the apparent amplification of their entry into restaurants along the supply chain, suggests "the greatest risk to end consumers."

The origin of the current coronavirus epidemic is thought to be the wildlife trade, with the disease appearing in bats and then spreading to humans through another species that has not yet been identified.

The new findings, which are thought to be preliminary, are related to rats, but may apply to other wild animals, which, if they are sub-beavers and pangolins, are also collected, transported and confined to tight spaces.

"While these are not dangerous viruses, they provide information on how the virus is amplifying in this case," said Sarah Olson, a conservation group based in New York, which led the study alongside experts from Vietnam.

Amanda Fine, a co-researcher also from WCS, added: "The wildlife supply chain, and the conditions that animals experience in the supply chain, seem to have greatly amplified the coronavirus epidemic."

In Vietnam, rats are a common food source. Rats are caught in rice paddies, then transported to markets and restaurants, and then slaughtered as a source of fresh meat.

These rodents are also raised on wildlife farms along with other animals such as porcupines.

In 2013 and 2014, six known coronaviruses were detected in samples taken at 70 sites in Vietnam. A high percentage of positive samples were found in wild rats intended for human consumption.

The positive ratio increased significantly along the supply chain: 6% on farms, 21% for traders, 32% for large markets and 56% for restaurants.

In rodent populations in "natural" habitats, the detection rate is close to 0-2 percent, the researchers said.

The study was conducted by animal health experts in Vietnam, which is considering a ban on wildlife trade and consumption. Prior to peer review, it was published on bioRxiv's preprint website.

Conservation experts say the coronavirus pandemic is a watershed moment to curb global wildlife trade.

They warn that wet markets could be a "ticking time bomb" for epidemics, bringing together different species that could spread the virus.

Compilation/Prospective Economist APP Information Group

Original source:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53086024