Scientists reveal potential of swine coronavirus jumping from animals to people
Washington: A strain of coronavirus which causes acute diarrhea in piglets may have the potential to spread to humans as well, according to a new study which says the virus could "negatively impact the global economy and human health."
According to the researchers, including those from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill in the US, the coronavirus strain, known as swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV), emerged from bats and has infected herds of pigs throughout China since it was first discovered in 2016.
They said outbreaks of such an illness have the potential to wreak economic havoc in many countries across the globe that rely on the pork industry.
In the new study, published in the journal PNAS, the scientists conducted lab tests to assess the potential threat from SADS-CoV to people and found that the virus efficiently replicates in human liver and gut cells, as well as airway cells.
"Efficient growth in primary human lung and intestinal cells implicate SADS-CoV as a potential higher-risk emerging coronavirus pathogen that could negatively impact the global economy and human health," the scientists wrote in the study.
Though it is in the same family of viruses as the betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes the respiratory illness COVID-19 in humans, the scientists said SADS-CoV is an alphacoronavirus that causes gastrointestinal illness in swine.
They said the virus causes severe diarrhea and vomiting and has been especially deadly to young piglets.
SADS-COV is also distinct from two circulating common cold alphacoronaviruses in humans, HCoV-229E and HCoV-NL63, they added.
"While many investigators focus on the emergent potential of the betacoronaviruses like SARS and MERS, actually the alphacoronaviruses may prove equally prominent -- if not greater -- concerns to human health, given their potential to rapidly jump between species," said study co-author Ralph Baric, a professor of epidemiology at UNC-Chapel Hill.
While SADS-CoV has not been known to affect humans to-date, the researchers said coronavirus strains found in animals have the potential to infect humans as well -- an effect known as spillover.
According to the scientists, a wide range of mammalian cells, including primary human lung and intestinal cells, are susceptible to SADS-CoV infection, with the virus showing a higher rate of growth in intestinal cells found in the human gut, unlike the novel coronavirus which primarily infects lung cells.
While studies have suggested that cross-protective immunity often prevents people from contracting many coronaviruses found in animals, the researchers believe humans have not yet developed such a defence to SADS-CoV.
"SADS-CoV is derived from bat coronaviruses called HKU2, which is a heterogeneous group of viruses with a worldwide distribution," said Caitlin Edwards, another co-author of the study.
It is impossible to predict if this virus, or a closely related HKU2 bat strain, could emerge and infect human populations," Edwards said.
However, given the broad host range of SADS-CoV, coupled with its ability to replicate in primary human lung and gut cells, the researchers believe the virus demonstrates "potential risk for future emergence events in human and animal populations."
Edwards and her colleagues tested the broad-spectrum antiviral remdesivir as a potential method of treatment for the infection, and the preliminary results showed that it had robust activity against SADS-CoV.
However, the scientists cautioned that more testing is necessary on additional cell types, and in animals to confirm these findings.
"Promising data with remdesivir provides a potential treatment option in the case of a human spillover event," Edwards said.
"We recommend that both swine workers and the swine population be continually monitored for indications of SADS-CoV infections to prevent outbreaks and massive economic losses," she added.
While surveillance and early separation of infected piglets provide an opportunity to mitigate larger outbreaks and the potential for spillover into humans, Baric said vaccines may be key for limiting the global spread and human emergence events in the future.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Modi targets Congress over 26/11 attacks, warns against INDIA bloc's 'mission cancel'
Ahmednagar/Beed (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday targeted the Congress over a senior leader's remarks on the 26/11 terror attacks and claimed if voted to power, the grand old party will reverse the Supreme Court verdict on Ram temple like it did in the 1985 Shah Bano case.
The BJP's star campaigner asserted the Congress's one point agenda on coming to power is to "cancel" landmark decisions taken by his government like scrapping Article 370, bringing a new citizenship Act, banning the instant triple talaq, and declared June 4, the day when votes polled in the Lok Sabha will be counted, will be the "expiry" date for the opposition INDIA bloc.
Addressing two poll rallies in Maharashtra in support of BJP-Shiv Sena candidates, Modi accused the Congress of playing a dangerous game of appeasement politics on 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, Ram temple and religion-based quota.
Speaking in Ahmednagar and Beed districts, the BJP stalwart hit out at the Congress over its Maharashtra leader Vijay Wadettiwar's comments that then-ATS chief Hemant Karkare was not killed by Pakistan terrorist Ajmal Kasab during the 26/11 attacks.
Quoting a senior Congress leader who recently resigned, the PM noted that "shehzada" (referring to Rahul Gandhi) had told a select group of people that if his party was voted to power, it will reverse the 2019 Supreme Court verdict on Ram temple like the Rajiv Gandhi government did in the 1985 Shah Bano case.
Modi asked people to be alert to Congress designs to "snatch" the SCs/ST/s/OBCs quota in jobs and education and give it to Muslims, saying this has been done in Karnataka, where the grand old party is in power.
The BJP stalwart maintained that while he is on a mission to realize the goal of Viksit Bharat (developed India), the INDIA alliance will be on a "mission cancel" if voted to power.
Modi claimed the opposition bloc will bring back Article 370 (which granted special status to J&K), restore instant triple talaq practice, scrap measures like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), free ration for the poor, free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh for 55 crore poor people and pro-farmer steps such as Kisan Samman Nidhi.
"A former Congress leader has revealed that after the 2019 Supreme Court verdict on Ram mandir, 'shehzada' called a meeting and said if the Congress returns to power, it will overturn the Ram mandir ruling," the PM noted.
Speaking in Ahmednagar, Modi said June 4 will be the "expiry date" of the INDIA bloc.
"This grouping will disperse like sand. The Congress-led bloc is indulging in appeasement politics, while BJP-led NDA wants to make everyone happy. BJP-led NDA works for development, national security, welfare of the poor, self-respect of the nation, while the Congress manifesto has the Muslim League's stamp. The party has made false promises of poverty alleviation and betrayed the poor," he emphasised.
Modi pointed out that he has provided four crore homes to the poor, while 50 crore people have been brought in the banking system through the Jan Dhan scheme and 80 crore people are getting free ration.
In Beed, Modi noted the Congress neglected the arid Marathwada region for long, while his government worked on expediting irrigation projects and solving water scarcity issue.
At one point, the PM got emotional and recalled that in the last 10 years, he had lost party colleagues like Gopinath Munde (who hailed from Beed), Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Manohar Parrikar and was feeling their absence now.
Remembering BJP leader Gopinath Munde, who was a member of his first cabinet in 2014, Modi said, "He used to often discuss about development of Marathwada. I took people like Gopinath Munde to Delhi."
The PM warned the Congress wants to replicate the "Karnataka model" of reservation politics, which involves including Muslims in OBC quota, in the entire country.
"Till Modi is alive, no power in the world can take away reservation granted to Dalit, tribals and OBCs," he declared.
Modi said the "real" NCP and "real" Shiv Sena were with the BJP, while the 'nakli' (bogus) Shiv Sena and 'nakli' NCP were with the Congress.
"The Congress can only make 'nakli' promises and 'nakli' videos. Its agenda is that it will not work and not let others work. The Congress will stop the (Mumbai-Ahmedabad) bullet train project if it comes to power. Can we trust such anti-development people?" he asked.
He took a dig at the Congress over its stand on terrorism.
"It seems the Congress is maintaining some relationship with these people (terrorists). The country has not forgotten that terrorists were welcomed in the PM's residence (during Congress rule). A big Congress leader cried when terrorists were killed in Batla House encounter (in Delhi)," Modi noted.
Criticizing RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav over his remarks favouring quota for Muslims, Modi said, 'Another leader of INDI alliance said today morning that reservation that has been given to SCs/STs/ OBCs should be given to Muslims too. This is against Dalit and adivasis."
The state government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, in which the BJP and the NCP are also allies, is bringing development projects in Marathwada, the PM said.
Shinde, Union minister Ramdas Athawale, Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde, BJP's Beed Lok Sabha candidate Pankaja Munde were present at the rally.
Voting in Ahmednagar, Shirdi and Beed seats will take place on May 13.
