Chinese seafood market linked to Coronavirus outbreak

According to the Australian Government Department of Health on 30 January 2020, seven cases of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) have been confirmed in Australia: 1 in Queensland, 2 in Victoria and 4 in New South Wales. Internationally, there have been over 6000 confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV and 132 deaths reported.

According to a study published in The Lancet, the Wuhan 2019-nCoV outbreak might have been transmitted to humans via a currently unknown wild animal sold at the Huanan seafood market.

The authors of this study say that although their analysis suggests that bats might be the original host of the virus, an animal sold at the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan might represent an intermediate host that enables the emergence of the virus in humans. For this reason, the future evolution, adaptation and spread of this virus requires urgent investigation.

In the study, the authors report the epidemiological data of nine patients who were diagnosed with viral pneumonia of unidentified cause. Cell and secretion samples were taken from the patients’ lungs to harvest samples of the 2019-nCoV virus, which were analysed to determine the origin of the virus and how it enters human cells.

Eight of the patients had visited the Huanan seafood market. One patient had never visited the market, but had stayed in a hotel near the market before the onset of their illness.

The authors found 2019-nCoV in all 10 genetic samples taken from the patients — including eight complete genomes and two partial genomes. The genetic sequences of the samples were nearly identical (shared more than 99.98% of the same genetic sequence) — which indicates a very recent emergence of the virus into humans.

Based on their data, the authors say that it seems likely that the 2019-nCoV causing the Wuhan outbreak might also be initially hosted by bats and transmitted to humans via a currently unknown wild animal sold at the Huanan seafood market.

As the current coronavirus outbreak continues to spread, scientists from across the globe are working to find a timely detection and prevention solution.

In Australia, scientists from The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity have recently discovered crucial information, which they are now sharing with international laboratories to help quickly find a solution to combat the virus.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/bulgn