Chinese Expert Claims "New Coronavirus May Transmit to Humans via Mink"

On the afternoon of the 28th, a screening clinic was set up in front of the Buk-gu Public Health Center in Gwangju to prepare for the spread of the novel coronavirus infection known as 'Wuhan pneumonia.' Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] As the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) that originated in Wuhan, China is spreading, there is a claim that the new coronavirus may have started from bats, passed through mink, and then transmitted to humans.

Local media People's Daily reported on the 29th via Weibo that research results from the Institute of Hospital Biology at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences suggested the possibility that mink played the role of an intermediate host.

Director Jin Chi said, "Many early studies conducted so far regarding the origin of this novel coronavirus consider bats as the source," but added, "However, the intermediate host remains unclear."

He continued, "According to one study comparing all viral infection patterns of vertebrate hosts, it was confirmed that mink showed infection patterns closer to the novel coronavirus," and explained, "Further verification is needed to determine whether mink is the intermediate host."

Until now, experts have argued that bats or snakes are likely hosts of the novel coronavirus.

Previously, researchers from the Shanghai Pasteur Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Military Medical Research Institute stated in a paper published in 'Science China: Life Sciences' that "the natural host of the Wuhan novel coronavirus is likely bats."

Medical staff from Peking University, Guangxi University, and Ningbo University published a paper in the international journal 'Journal of Virology,' claiming that tracking the virus mutation process strongly suggests snakes as the host.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.