Scientists have discovered a new type of coronavirus that originated in dogs and can infect humans . The pathogen, which has been around since 2018, is the eighth coronavirus known to have jumped from animals to humans.
At the moment, it is not clear if this virus poses a serious threat like SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, but there are eight people hospitalized in Malaysia, including seven children.
Canine coronavirus
The new coronavirus has been baptized as CcoV-HuPn-2018. Of the patients, one developed pneumonia, but all recovered and were discharged after four to six days, after receiving oxygen therapy to help them breathe.
Experts underscore the concern that coronaviruses could be transmitted by domestic pets and this study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases , could revolutionize the way we identify respiratory illnesses before they become potential pandemics.
“If we really want to mitigate the threat, we need better surveillance where humans and animals interbreed, and among people who are sick enough to be hospitalized for new viruses,” explains Gregory Gray, study leader.
The researchers plan to further study the CCoV-HuPn-2018 virus to determine how harmful it is or could become. It is not known if the virus can be transmitted from person to person.
Coronaviruses are expected to become more prevalent as humans come into greater contact with wildlife due to habitat destruction and climate change. Therefore, the potential threat posed by viruses in dogs or cats, which also suffer from coronavirus diseases, should be taken more seriously because it can represent a public health problem.
Referencia: Anastasia N Vlasova, PhD, Annika Diaz, Debasu Damtie, MS, Leshan Xiu, MS, Teck-Hock Toh, MD, Jeffrey Soon-Yit Lee, MD, Linda J Saif, PhD, Gregory C Gray, MD, Novel Canine Coronavirus Isolated from a Hospitalized Pneumonia Patient, East Malaysia, Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2021;, ciab456, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciab456
