The current outbreak of a new coronavirus disease, named COVID-19, raises the question of where diseases like this come from and where the risks lie. By the middle of February almost 2,000 people had died in this outbreak, which has also had a global economic impact.
Scientists on the continent do keep a watch by doing bio-surveillance and specifically looking for pieces of coronavirus genomes in bat species. If these are found, the researchers can determine the genome sequence and analyse how it is related to other animal and human coronaviruses. At first, it was thought that masked palm civets and raccoon dogs were the animal hosts for the SARS virus. But it later appeared that they were probably infected by another reservoir source. The horseshoe bat genus hosted viruses similar to SARS but these were sufficiently different to rule out a direct spillover from bats.
Thanks to all the efforts to identify the potential reservoir of SARS, many coronavirus viral sequences have been detected in bats globally.Work done in South Africa by our group has not detected any viruses related to SARS or the COVID-19 disease in local bats. The sequences found in Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya are not SARS, though they have some genetic relatedness. They do not pose a direct spillover risk and haven’t been shown to be able to infect human cells. There have not been any human outbreaks of SARS or other coronaviruses linked to bats on the continent.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Sorry, but ... five reasons why the EFF rejects FW de Klerk’s apology“As the EFF, we reject the apology as one that lacks sincerity and relevance, as the individual who was the source of these hateful views remains unrepentant and avoids accountability by using a foundation which bears his name.” We don't need Apartheid apologist newspaper to tell us the reasons Lefoko gale boe, go boa monona. I wish this F...k would go back to where he ran to!
Source: TimesLIVE - 🏆 28. / 59 Read more »
THE LEX COLUMN: Why Facebook supports more digital taxConditions look right for an old-fashioned multilateral stand-off over where tech giants pay tax
Source: BDliveSA - 🏆 12. / 63 Read more »
Why pay more tax if you can save instead?A tax-free investment account gives you a chance to boost your nest egg with a lump sum
Source: BDliveSA - 🏆 12. / 63 Read more »
THE LEX COLUMN: Why Facebook supports more digital taxConditions look right for an old-fashioned multilateral stand-off over where tech giants pay tax
Source: BDliveSA - 🏆 12. / 63 Read more »
Lady Zamar on being ‘replaced by Sha Sha’: Why can’t women be great on their own?Known for many hit house songs, Lady Zamar set the record straight, saying there was enough space for everyone in SA to coexist and do their thing.
Source: SowetanLIVE - 🏆 13. / 63 Read more »
Lady Zamar on being ‘replaced by Sha Sha’: Why can’t women be great on their own?'Why must there always be someone she is being compared to?' Phehello_Mo O Star Mfanaka, Vince_Manganyi Checka Ntwanaka Shaked Things Up A Bit 🤪 Delete this 🚮
Source: TimesLIVE - 🏆 28. / 59 Read more »