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SARS-CoV-2: Camazotz's Curse.
1Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune 411040, India.
Medical Journal, Armed Forces India
|April 29, 2020
Summary
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is caused by a novel coronavirus. Identifying its animal source and understanding interspecies transmission is crucial for controlling COVID-19 and preventing future pandemics.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Epidemiology
- Genetics
Background:
- The current pandemic is caused by SARS-CoV-2, a Betacoronavirus.
- Previous coronavirus outbreaks include SARS-CoV (2002) and MERS-CoV (2012).
- Coronaviruses (CoVs) are known to circulate in animal reservoirs, with bats as a likely origin for SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic relationship of SARS-CoV-2 to other coronaviruses.
- To highlight the need for identifying the intermediate host of SARS-CoV-2.
- To emphasize the importance of understanding interspecies transmission for pandemic prevention.
Main Methods:
- Whole genome sequencing and comparative analysis.
- Phylogenetic analysis of viral strains.
- Literature review of known coronavirus outbreaks and transmission.
Main Results:
- SARS-CoV-2 shares 96.2% genomic similarity with bat SARSr-CoV RaTG13.
- Pangolin CoV shows high similarity to SARS-CoV-2, particularly in the S1 spike protein subunit.
- Currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains exhibit 99.98-100% genomic similarity, suggesting a recent zoonotic event.
Conclusions:
- Identifying the animal source of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for implementing effective control measures.
- Understanding the mechanisms of viral interspecies transmission is key to predicting and preventing future pandemics.
- Further research is needed to pinpoint the intermediate host for SARS-CoV-2.
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