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Coronavirus outbreak could be linked to snakes


LateToCult

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LateToCult
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Snakes -- the Chinese krait and the Chinese cobra -- may be the original source of the newly discovered coronavirus that has triggered an outbreak of a deadly infectious respiratory illness in China this winter.

The many-banded krait (Bungarus multicinctus), also known as the Taiwanese krait or the Chinese krait, is a highly venomous species of elapid snake found in much of central and southern China and Southeast Asia.

The illness was first reported in late December 2019 in Wuhan, a major city in central China, and has been rapidly spreading. Since then, sick travelers from Wuhan have infected people in China and other countries, including the United States.

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This new 2019-nCoV causes similar symptoms to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. People infected with these coronaviruses suffer a severe inflammatory response.

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Both SARS and MERS are classified as zoonotic viral diseases, meaning the first patients who were infected acquired these viruses directly from animals. This was possible because while in the animal host, the virus had acquired a series of genetic mutations that allowed it to infect and multiply inside humans.

Now these viruses can be transmitted from person to person. Field studies have revealed that the original source of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV is the bat, and that the masked palm civets (a mammal native to Asia and Africa) and camels, respectively, served as intermediate hosts between bats and humans.

In the case of this 2019 coronavirus outbreak, reports state that most of the first group of patients hospitalized were workers or customers at a local seafood wholesale market which also sold processed meats and live consumable animals including poultry, donkeys, sheep, pigs, camels, foxes, badgers, bamboo rats, hedgehogs and reptiles. However, since no one has ever reported finding a coronavirus infecting aquatic animals, it is plausible that the coronavirus may have originated from other animals sold in that market.

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The researchers used an analysis of the protein codes favored by the new coronavirus and compared it to the protein codes from coronaviruses found in different animal hosts, like birds, snakes, marmots, hedgehogs, manis, bats and humans. Surprisingly, they found that the protein codes in the 2019-nCoV are most similar to those used in snakes.

Snakes often hunt for bats in wild. Reports indicate that snakes were sold in the local seafood market in Wuhan, raising the possibility that the 2019-nCoV might have jumped from the host species -- bats -- to snakes and then to humans at the beginning of this coronavirus outbreak. However, how the virus could adapt to both the cold-blooded and warm-blooded hosts remains a mystery.

This is scary as hell. The Lunar New Year celebrations are here and so much travel is taking place throughout Asia and the world. The absolute worst time for this outbreak.  

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not Chromatica
Just now, FlopSlurper said:

if I see any tay joke-

I RUSHED HERE HOPING NO-ONE HAD MADE ONE BC I WAS ABOUT TO SKSKSKSKSK

You got me, bitch!

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Lilmonzter

I saw the news yesterday was so depressing to post it. 

I hope it gets contained soon enough 

Or else it'll be a pandemic. Everyone will be at risk:saladga:

Sing C'est la vie 
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My bf works in an international organization (UN related)... Let's say they have three ideas at this time about this virus :

 

It comes indeed from snakes 

It comes from bats

It has been artificially created in the BSL 4 lab in Wuhan and it somehow got away (this is a lab where they study and work on the most dangerous viruses in the world) 

 

Also they suspect China to lie about the numbers of infected. They estimate it to be in the thousands. Hence why they put three major cities in quarantine. 

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LateToCult
1 minute ago, Eido said:

My bf works in an international organization (UN related)... Let's say they have three options at this time about this virus :

 

It comes indeed from snakes 

It comes from bats

It has been artificially created in the BSL 4 lab in Wuhan and it somehow got away (this is a lab where they study and work and the most dangerous viruses in the world) 

 

Also they suspect China to lie about the numbers of infected. They estimate it to be in the thousands. Hence why they put three major cities in quarantine. 

I think the snake theory is the most likely. It can’t be a coincidence that the first cases came from that market with live animals. It’s how the SARS outbreak occurred years ago too only with different animals.

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messybottom

This is so scary omg. Especially after watching outbreak & contagion 😷    

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I think the Chinese government shouldn't take risk at all. They shouldn't allow people to travel for the new year celebrations for a period of time...

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boneknuckleskin
1 minute ago, babedaily said:

I think the Chinese government shouldn't take risk at all. They shouldn't allow people to travel for the new year celebrations for a period of time...

That it happens right before their New Year celebrations in which millions travel out of the country has the conspiracy nut in me like :usrs: 

 

 

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34 minutes ago, LateToCult said:

I think the snake theory is the most likely. It can’t be a coincidence that the first cases came from that market with live animals. It’s how the SARS outbreak occurred years ago too only with different animals.

Let's hope so. Because if it were really from the BSL 4 lab, we would be screwed. Like litteraly. 

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FfFfFfFF

Not me holding back from doing a Taylor joke because I thought it's inappropriate and later see y'all laugh about it. 😭

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