American research has found that millions of rats in New York may have carried the new coronavirus
The findings suggest that the coronavirus may spread from humans to rodents in New York City.
Image: It is unclear whether the New York City rats in the pictures have ever contracted COVID.
Researchers have found that millions of rats living across New York City are susceptible to COVID-19.
Like humans, rodents have been shown to be susceptible to multiple variants from the original virus to Omicron virus, including high levels of infection in the upper and lower respiratory tract of rodents.
A 2021 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that it is "likely" that the coronavirus was transmitted from bats to humans through an unknown animal.
Since then, incidents of human-to-animal transmission, including the spread of the virus in pets, have been reported.
Researchers at the University of Missouri investigated whether rats in New York could be infected because a large number of rats call the city their home.
There are about eight million wild rats in the Big Apple area of New York, and they are also widely distributed in other urban areas of the United States.
The peer-reviewed study, published in the journal mBio of the American Society for Microbiology, says it is crucial to determine whether wild animals can be infected on a large scale to track how the virus evolves.
Rats captured near a sewage system
Dr. Henry Wan, lead author of the presentation, said: "To our knowledge, this is the first time that the SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) variant can cause infection in wild rat populations in major urban areas of the United States. ”
With permission from local officials in New York, the researchers conducted two operations to trap rats in and around the city's sewage system, primarily in Brooklyn, New York.
During the pandemic, sewer surveillance was used to detect the incidence of disease.
Biologists collected and processed samples from 79 mice captured between September and November 2021 and found that 13 of them (16.5%) had COVID.
In proportion to the estimated total population, this means that there are more than 1.3 million rats infected with the new coronavirus in New York City.
Image: New York City sets up temporary hospitals at the height of the pandemic in 2020
Work can help track whether viruses are "evolving"
Dr Henry Wan, who specializes in novel infectious diseases, said the discovery strengthens the shared role humans and animals can play during the pandemic.
"We must continue to deepen our understanding so that we can protect the health of humans and animals," the professor said. ”
He added: "Our findings highlight the need for further monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in rat populations to determine whether the novel coronavirus is circulating in animals and evolving into new strains that may pose a risk to humans. ”
Previous research has warned that as social transmission wanes, COVID between animals could become "increasingly important [...] Potential sources of virus reintroduction into humans".
Previous research has warned that as social transmission wanes, COVID in animals could become an "increasingly important potential source" of retransmission of the virus to humans.