New type of coronavirus originating in dogs found - study

May 22, 2021

KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Reuters) - A new type of coronavirus believed to have originated in dogs was detected among patients hospitalised with pneumonia in 2017-2018, and may be the eighth unique coronavirus known to cause disease in humans if it is confirmed as a pathogen, a study said. Researchers in the study, published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal on Thursday, said their findings underscored the public health threat of animal coronaviruses. Further genomic sequencing found that the new strain, named CCoV-HuPn-2018, shared characteristics of other coronaviruses known to have infected cats and pigs but was mostly similar to one that is known to have infected dogs. The source of the SARS-COV-2 coronavirus itself, whether animal or other, remains unclear. There are seven coronaviruses known to cause disease in humans: four that cause the common cold, and three that cause the diseases commonly known as SARS, MERS and COVID-19.

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