Beijing: A recent study has raised suspicions that two animals raised in China for food and traditional medicine may have been responsible for viruses more dangerous than Covid-19. It was claimed that several viruses have been found in raccoon dogs and minks, which are commonly raised for their fur, some of which could pose a great risk to human health.
This research was done in China between the years 2021 and 2024. After which it was concluded that these animals can serve as a reservoir of emerging pathogens. This can potentially lead to new epidemics. It was told that samples of 461 different animals found dead due to disease on a fur farm in China were collected. These animals included mink, raccoon dogs, foxes, guinea pigs and rabbits. The tissues of the lungs, intestines and other organs of these animals were examined, in which 125 different types of viruses were revealed. It was claimed that out of these 125 viruses, 36 were new. The reason for the concern of scientists is that during this study in China, a total of 39 such viruses were found, which have been placed in the high-risk category. It was said that apart from humans, there is a risk of these viruses infecting other species as well. Among the viruses that have been detected, several types of influenza A viruses were found in guinea pigs, minks and muskrats. According to the study, these include H1N2, H5N6 and H6N2 viruses. Researchers also identified several Covid-19-like viruses linked to these animals.
It was claimed that seven different species of coronavirus have been discovered. However, the research also said that none of them is close to the SARS CoV-2 virus. This was the virus that caused Covid. You must be remembering the havoc caused by Covid-19 across the world. So many dead bodies fell due to this virus that originated in Wuhan city of China that it is not possible for anyone to trace it accurately.