Solar Energy News  
EPIDEMICS
SARS lessons hang over China's fight against new virus
By Eva Xiao and Laurent Thomet
Beijing (AFP) Jan 23, 2020

Studies suggest role of bats, snakes in outbreak of China virus
Beijing (AFP) Jan 23, 2020 - A new strain of coronavirus that emerged in China may have originated in bats or snakes, according to genetic analysis of the virus that has so far killed 17 people.

The theories are based on examination of the genome sequence of the virus released by authorities in the wake of the outbreak, with two studies pointing to the likely role of bats in the outbreak.

One study, published Tuesday in the journal Science China Life Sciences, which is sponsored by Beijing's Chinese Academy of Sciences, looked at the relations between the new strain and other viruses.

It found the coronavirus that emerged from China's Wuhan was closely related to a strain that exists in bats.

"Bats being the native host of the Wuhan CoV (coronavirus) would be the logical and convenient reasoning, though it remains likely there was intermediate host(s) in the transmission cascade from bats to humans," the researchers from several institutions in China wrote in the paper.

That study did not speculate about which animal could have been an "intermediate host," but a second study published Wednesday in the Journal of Medical Virology identifies snakes as the possible culprit.

"To search for (a) potential virus reservoir, we have carried out a comprehensive sequence analysis and comparison. Results from our analysis suggest that snake is the most probable wildlife animal reservoir," the paper says.

The researchers caution that their conclusions require "further validation by experimental studies in animal models".

Neither study explained how the virus may have been transmitted from animals to humans.

But they could offer clues to Chinese authorities as they hunt for the source of the outbreak that has sickened hundreds of people in the country and has been confirmed as far afield as the United States.

The food market where the deadly virus surfaced offered a range of exotic wildlife for sale, including live foxes, crocodiles, wolf puppies, giant salamanders, snakes, rats, peacocks, porcupines, camel meat and other game.

Gao Fu, director of the Chinese centre for disease control and prevention, said in Beijing on Wednesday that authorities believe the virus likely came from "wild animals at the seafood market" though the exact source remains undetermined.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, was linked to Chinese consumption of civet meat.

Many exotic species are still widely consumed in China or other Asian countries where they are considered a delicacy -- like the civet or some rats or bats -- or for purported health benefits unproven by science.

China's lockdown of an entire city to contain a virus outbreak stands in contrast to its handling of the deadly SARS crisis two decades ago, when it was criticised for being secretive and indecisive.

The new virus has killed 17 and infected more than 500 other people, with most cases found in Wuhan, the central city of 11 million people where outward flights and trains were indefinitely suspended on Thursday.

Like SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), China's new disease is contagious between humans, and is part of the same family of coronaviruses.

But unlike the 2003 SARS epidemic, when China drew international condemnation for covering up cases, Beijing is taking a starkly different approach to contain the new disease, experts say.

"Chinese authorities express the willingness to collaborate more transparently and more quickly than for (the) SARS outbreak," Antoine Flahault, deputy director of the Swiss School of Public Health, told AFP.

"This is (a) tremendously different attitude from 2003, although there are some pending questions regarding the exact number of cases and potential for underreporting."

The consequences of the information blackout during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak were keenly felt in China.

Nearly 650 people died across the mainland and Hong Kong from the disease.

During the SARS epidemic, the Chinese government took months to report the disease and initially denied World Health Organization (WHO) experts access to southern Guangdong province, where it originated.

But Beijing -- well-aware its response will be compared with the legacy of SARS -- seems determined not to repeat the mistakes of 2003 with the new coronavirus.

Even state media has admitted that "government agencies cannot hide information even if they want to" in the age of social media.

"The whole nation has sharpened its vigilance," said Zhong Nanshan, a renowned scientist at China's National Health Commission, state television reported Monday.

"The SARS epidemic of 17 years ago will not be repeated."

The disease has also spread to other countries, including the United States, South Korea, Thailand, and Japan.

- 'Effectively controlled' -

The Chinese government has published regular updates of the new virus since announcing its appearance at the end of December, the exact opposite to its response in 2003.

The country saw its first case of SARS in November 2002, but Beijing waited until February to officially acknowledge the disease, which it downplayed then as "effectively controlled".

Chinese authorities also repeatedly failed to coordinate with the WHO, which urged "full and open" reporting of cases.

In addition to Guangdong province, WHO experts were also blocked from accessing Beijing military hospitals with suspected SARS patients.

By early June 2003, more than 300 people in China had died from the disease, while another 5,329 remained infected.

In contrast, the head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyes, on Wednesday hailed the "very, very strong measures" taken by China this time around.

He praised its openness about the current outbreak as "commendable".

Tedros spoke after the global body held a meeting on Wednesday to decide whether to classify the outbreak as a global health emergency. International experts were split and a new meeting will be held on Thursday.

- Transparency concerns -

In Washington, a US State Department official said on condition of anonymity that there have been "encouraging signs that the Chinese government has understood the gravity of this problem".

But the official added: "we're still concerned as far as transparency in the Chinese government."

Prioritising social stability over public health may have thwarted an earlier response to the Wuhan virus, said Dali Yang, a political science professor at the University of Chicago.

At the beginning of January, when Wuhan officials held an annual political meeting, the local government tried to "project this atmosphere of stability and calm in the region", he told AFP.

The mayor of Wuhan has also faced scrutiny for allowing a massive Lunar New Year banquet -- involving 40,000 families -- to take place on Saturday.

In an interview with CCTV Tuesday, he defended the decision by saying it was made before human-to-human transmission was officially confirmed on Monday.

There are also discrepancies between the number of infections reported by China and estimates from overseas researchers.

Scientists at the Imperial College in London published an estimate on Wednesday that 4,000 people have been infected in Wuhan -- much higher than the more than 500 cases reported by Chinese officials.


Related Links
Epidemics on Earth - Bird Flu, HIV/AIDS, Ebola


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


EPIDEMICS
S. Korea confirms first case of SARS-like virus from China
Seoul (AFP) Jan 20, 2020
South Korea on Monday confirmed its first case of the SARS-like virus that is spreading in China, as concerns mount about a wider outbreak. A 35-year-old Chinese woman who flew in from Wuhan, the apparent epicentre of the outbreak, was confirmed to have the new coronavirus strain, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. She went to hospital in Wuhan on Saturday with symptoms of a cold and was prescribed medication before flying to Incheon airport on Sunday, where she wa ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

EPIDEMICS
Microwaving sewage waste may make it safe to use as fertilizer on crops

How to make it easier to turn plant waste into biofuels

EU project RES URBIS shows the viability of bioplastic generation with urban biowaste

From a by-product of the biodiesel industry to a valuable chemical

EPIDEMICS
Anatomy of a Rover: The Mechanics of a Winning Student Vehicle Design

Team builds the first living robots

Can sea star movement inspire better robots?

Raytheon tapped for self-evaluating machine learning system

EPIDEMICS
UK looks to offshore wind for green energy transition

Britain's green energy sector brightens: survey data

Consider marine life when implementing offshore renewable power

Supporting structures of wind turbines contribute to wind farm blockage effect

EPIDEMICS
Extinction Rebellion protest disrupts Brussels Motor Show

Liability in the age of driverless vehicles

Bollywood star slams Uber after 'scariest experience'

More dieselgate fines as CEO says VW has 'one shot' to survive shift to digital era

EPIDEMICS
Some batteries can be pushed too far

A breath of fresh air for longer-running batteries

A new method to study lithium dendrites could lead to better, safer batteries

Utilizing relativistic effects for laser fusion

EPIDEMICS
Japan court halts nuclear reactor restart citing volcano, quake risks

Austria fails to win over neighbours for nuclear phase-out

Iran says 'daily enrichment' of uranium higher than 2015

UAE to start first nuclear reactor in 'months': officials

EPIDEMICS
BlackRock to clean up investment portfolio, CEO says

Davos faces up to towering global challenges

Eastern EU states opposed to 2050 zero-emissions goal

EU lays out trillion-euro 'Green Deal'

EPIDEMICS
Amazon indigenous leaders accuse Brazil of 'genocide' policy

Taking root? Tree-planting new trend in eco-conscious Davos

Amazon tribes meet to counter Bolsonaro environmental threats

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon up 85 percent in 2019









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.