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There is a type of coronavirus that is affecting pigs and that can be transmitted to other animals and even humans. The virus, called SADS-CoV, appeared in China and has been affecting pigs since 2016, but in the past week, researchers at the University of North Carolina in the United States discovered a strain of the virus that can infect humans.
According to the study, published on October 12 on the website Proceedings of the National Academy of the United States of America, the virus, whose symptoms are characterized by violent gastrointestinal disorders such as vomiting and diarrhea, and can be fatal in piglets, can replicate effectively in human liver and intestine cells, but also in cells of the respiratory tract.
There are no reported cases in humans, so the effects of the disease in people are still unknown.
So far it is known that it is an alpha-coronavirus, from the same family as SARS-CoV-2, which causes respiratory problems. Diarrhea and vomiting are the most common symptoms in pigs, affecting their young more violently than adult animals. It will even be responsible for the death of 90% of infected piglets.
According to American scientists, the virus is more likely to pass from animals to humans through contact, so pig farmers and pig farmers are at higher risk.
While many researchers focus on the emerging potential of beta-coronaviruses such as SARS and MERS, alpha-coronaviruses can be equally concerning for human health.said Ralph Baric, a professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina School of Global Public Health.
Although there are no registered cases so far, experts fear the possibility of a new pandemic emerging, as the study by Caitlin Edwards, an expert from the University of North Carolina, points out.
Caitlin Edwards’ research tested various types of cells, infecting them with a synthetic form of SADS-CoV to understand how they would behave. The results indicate that large numbers of mammalian cells, including humans, are susceptible to infection. Cells found primarily in the tissues of the human lungs and intestines.
It is impossible to predict whether this virus could emerge and infect human populations. However, the wide range of SADS-CoV hosts, along with the ability to replicate in the primary human lung and enteric cells, demonstrates a potential risk of future emergency events in human and animal populations. “says Caitlin Edwards, quoted by several international media.
The expert believes that group immunity may not be a good strategy to eliminate this virus, since there is no vaccine yet. Therefore, scientists are betting on a cure in case of infection and are studying the efficacy of a possible use of remdesivir, used to combat all known coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV2.
