SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, has now turned to the jungle after the human world. Virginia Tech’s conservation biologist Amanda Goldberg said that we have found this virus in many wild animal species. In some species the infection is up to 60 percent. This is a warning to the world.
More than 800 swab samples were taken from animals brought from the forests. All of them were in the rehabilitation center. From where they had to be fixed and released back into the forest. There they found animals of six different species, which had antibodies that would have been formed after infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It was not revealed when the infection occurred. Most of the infected species are from North America. There was no evidence of re-infection in humans.
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In the forests where there is more human activity, the amount of viral antibodies is also three times more. Humans do twice as much work in spreading such viruses. Rather, there are very few cases of infection from animals to humans. But reaching this virus to wild animals can be a challenging task.
Infection in small wild animals, big ones can also become victims
Amanda said that the wild animals in which this virus has been found are cottontail rabbits, raccoons, eastern deer rats, Virginia opossums, groundhogs and eastern red bats. This virus or its related symptoms have not been seen in all wild animals. But the risk of its spread may increase in future. If large carnivorous animals eat these small animals or make them their prey.
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If there is an attack by mutant virus, the situation will get worse.
Carla Finkelstein, a molecular biologist at Virginia Tech, said that due to vaccination, humans were saved from the virus but now it is spreading towards the forest. New mutations are happening inside the animals. Because their host is new. In the future, these mutant viruses can attack humans in a new way.
To prevent the epidemic from spreading, we will have to constantly keep an eye on the virus.
Scientists have warned that all countries and governments will have to constantly monitor the Covid-19 virus and its mode of infection. So that the epidemic does not spread again. If this happens, this time the level of devastation may be more dangerous. Because the level of mutation is yet to be ascertained.