Shocking study from the USA: The corona virus is spreading among wild animals, especially where people live. Up to 60 percent of the animals examined are or were infected. This also poses a risk for the future.
“The most important finding is that the virus is pretty ubiquitous,” says conservation biologist Amanda Goldberg of Virginia Tech. Positive findings were mainly found in animal species that live in gardens, so one could speak of “raccoon corona.”
Virus probably widespread in wild animals
The researchers examined nearly 800 nasal and oral swabs from Animals in rehabilitation centers or animals caught in traps and released.
They discovered six different species with antibodies that indicate that these animals could one day be infected with SARS-CoV-2 were infected. The study was published in “Nature Communications”.
The researchers believe it is likely that the virus is spreading among wild animals in North America is widespread. However, Goldberg and her team emphasize that there is currently no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted from wild animals to humans.
How humans spread Corona to animals
It is assumed that humans are responsible for most of the spread: In areas with high human activity, the antibody occurs three times as frequently in animals.
► The researchers therefore suspect that wild animals come into contact with SAR-CoV-2 via waste and wastewater. Transmission then occurs from animal to animal.
Wild animals could breed new mutations
The wildlife affected includes eastern cottontail rabbits, Raccoonseastern deer mice, Virginia opossums, marmots and eastern red bats. Not all animals show symptoms of the disease.
The researchers' concern is that the virus could develop new mutations as it spreads among wild animals – and these would pose a future risk to humans.
However, we are not yet at that stage. In the analysis of 126 wild animalBlood samples the researchers found that most of the virus strains were still identical to those found in humans. Goldberg and her team believe it is important to continue studying the wild and human variants to determine how SARS-CoV-2 is changing.