One of the biggest concerns of epidemiologists is that a new type of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)
) another reservoir will appear among animals,that live outside of Asia. We found that deer hamsters may play such a role in North America, among which the virus can spread and develop stably.
American researchers tested whether deer hamsters are capable ofPeromyscus maniculatusbecome infected with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Nine young deer hamsters were given a solution containing the virus instilled into their noses. Viral RNA was detected for up to 21 days in swabs from the animals’ mouths and up to 14 days in the lungs. The virus has also been found in the brains of animals. The authors suggest that it entered there through the trigeminal nerve. No obvious symptoms of disease were observed and not a single hamster died from the infection.
Subsequent observations showed that the infectedindividuals transmitted the virus to all relatives in the cell in just two days. Those, in turn, infected another batch of rodents, which the researchers later placed in an enclosure with sick hamsters. At the same time, antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 appeared in animals only two weeks after infection.
All these data show that deer hamsters and,It is possible that other species of the same genus may prove to be secondary reservoir hosts and cause periodic outbreaks of COVID-19 in North America, which means that the virus may spread stably among these animals and also evolve.
It is necessary to investigate other rodents that may be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. It is known, for example, that European bank voles and field voles are infected with coronaviruses.
Read also
Treasure hunter finds 3000-year-old treasure in Scotland
Perseids Meteor Shower - 2020: Where to See It, Where to Look and How to Take a Photo
Look at the 3D map of the Universe: it was compiled for 20 years and it has already surprised scientists