Chinese scientists believe pangolins may've spread coronavirus from bats to humans

After snakes and bats, Chinese scientists w suspect pangolins may be an intermediate host of vel coronavirus which is wreaking havoc all over China and world.

As of Thursday, 636 people have died mostly in Hubei province and its provincial capital Wuhan due to virus with total number of confirmed cases jumping to 3,143, Chinese officials anunced on Friday.

geme sequence of vel coronavirus strain separated from pangolins was 99 per cent identical to that from infected people, indicating pangolins may be an intermediate host of virus, according to a new study led by South China Agricultural University.

According to Liu Yahong, president of university, research team analysed more than 1,000 metme samples of wild animals and found pangolins as most likely intermediate host, state-run Xinhua news ncy reported on Friday.

Molecular biological detection revealed that positive rate of Betacoronavirus in pangolins was 70 per cent.

Researchers furr isolated virus and observed its structure with an electron microscope. y found that geme sequence of coronavirus strain was 99 per cent identical to those in infected people, study said.

Results showed that pangolins are a potential intermediate host of vel coronavirus, Liu said, ding that study will support prevention and control of epidemic, as well as offer scientific reference for policies on wild animals.

After coronavirus, China has temporarily banned tring exotic animals.

Birds and animals are in centre of debate about how virus originated. In beginning, snakes were blamed for virus.

Chinese health experts later contended that virus originated from bats, but wher re are more intermediate carriers between bats and humans requires furr investigation.

virus was believed to have been spre from Wuhan's Hunan seafood wholesale market.

Shen Yongyi, a professor with university and a member of research team, said previous research h found new coronavirus originated in bats, but as spre of virus happened in winter, it was unlikely that people h been directly infected by bats which were hibernating.

"So our task is to find intermediate host that 'bridges' bats and people," he said, ding that re are usually multiple intermediate hosts, and pangolins may be just one of m.

"On one hand, we hope this result will warn people to stay away from wild animals. On or, we would like to share it with research fellows in hope of making efforts toger to find or possible intermediate hosts to promote epidemic prevention and control," he said. PTI KJV CPS