Canine coronavirus strain found in humans

[马尼拉]马来西亚砂拉越州的几名肺炎患者对A的测试呈阳性新冠病毒strain associated with dogs, according to astudy.

Genome sequencing of the coronavirus identified it as a novel canine-feline recombinant alphacoronavirus, which was named CCoV-HuPn-2018. The study, published May inClinical Infectious Diseases, says it is the first to report this type of coronavirus being detected in a human pneumonia patient.

CCOV-HUPN-2018如果被确认为病原体，则可能是可能使人类生病的第八个独特的冠状病毒。

冠状病毒感染人类包括已知de SARS-CoV-1, known to cause Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), an outbreak of which occurred in 2002— 2004; MERS-CoV, which causes the Middle East respiratory syndrome, first detected in 2012, and SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.

All these疾病are zoonotic, meaning they can jump from animals to humans. SARS-CoV-1 is suspected to have jumped to humans from bats or civets, MERS-CoV from camels and SARS-CoV-2 from bats or minks.

Samples taken in 2017— 2018 from eight of 301 hospitalised patients tested positive for the CCoV-HuPn-2018 coronavirus strain. Of these eight patients, seven were less than five years old, lived in rural areas and were frequently exposed to animals, both wild and domesticated. Most belonged to one of severalindigenousethnic groups in Sarawak. All patients recovered after four to six days in hospital.

There are various unknowns about the virus at this stage, says Gregory Gray, an author of the study and infectious diseases professor at the全球卫生研究所，杜克大学，美国。其中包括犬类和猫等家养动物如何感染冠状病毒菌株，如何感染人类以及人类到人类的传播是否可能。

According to Gray, what is important is that these coronaviruses may be spilling over to humans from animals much more frequently than is known. “We are proposing future epidemiological studies to answer such questions,” Gray tellsSciDev.Net.

“Our findings underscore the publichealththreat of animal coronaviruses and a need to conduct better surveillance for them,” the researchers wrote in the study. Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that have crown-like spikes on their surface.

In apress release格雷由杜克大学（Duke University）发表，强调使用诊断工具使早期发现以阻止感染传播的重要性。“这些病原体不仅会导致一夜之间的大流行。他们需要很多年才能适应人类免疫系统并引起感染，然后在人与人之间的传播中有效。我们需要寻找这些病原体并尽早发现它们。”

The research team used apowerful molecular diagnostic tool, which can detect most coronaviruses, including currently unknown ones. Gray tellsSciDev.Netthat they have already “published the methods and diagnostic companies may develop commercial kits”.

Keith Hamilton, head of the Preparedness and Resilience Department at theWorld Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), agrees thatinnovationshave made it easier for scientists to detect viruses. “Major advancements in detection and analyticaltechnologiesover the past couple of decades are allowing scientists to detect, characterise and track viruses much more easily,” he says.

但是，汉密尔顿指出，这项研究尚无定论。“在患者的鼻咽拭子中发现属于该病毒的遗传物质本身并不能证明感染这种病毒会引起肺炎。此外，该论文没有提供任何证据表明人类对人类传播的证据。”

He also tellsSciDev.Netthat there is a difference between CCoV-HuPn-2018 and the coronaviruses that caused SARS, MERS, and COVID-19. “SARS-CoV-2, MERS and SARS belong to the genera of betacoronaviruses, whilst the virus discussed in the study appears to be a member of the genera alphacoronaviruses, so it is not closely related to MERS, SARS or SARS-CoV-2.”

“ SARS-COV-2，MERS和SARS属于Betacoronaviruses的属，而研究中讨论的病毒似乎是载量符纳病毒的成员，因此与MERS，SARS或SARS或SARS-COV-2不密切相关透明

基思·汉密尔顿（Keith Hamilton），世界动物健康组织

Nonetheless, Hamilton says that studies such as this can help provide a clearer picture of the relationship between coronaviruses and hosts, along withbeplay足球体育的微博环境可能影响这种相互作用的因素。“这样的发现确实突出了监视的潜在价值和researchto better understand the behaviour of coronaviruses at the human-animal-environmental interface.”

Sarah Caddy, veterinarian and viral immunologist at theUniversity of Cambridge, tellsSciDev.Net: “This research cannot conclusively show the source of human infections, but it is likely to be dogs.”

Caddy says there is no evidence of the canine coronavirus spreading. “There are several infections that can pass between dogs and humans, but generally these are rare,” she says. “Following good hygiene around our pets, e.g. washing hands after patting, is always a good idea regardless.”

This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Asia & Pacific desk.