Dozens of viruses detected in Chinese fur farms

Dozens of viruses have been detected in livestock in China, some of which are new and have the potential to spread to humans, researchers said Wednesday.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists have warned that farming mammals such as mink for their fur could facilitate the transmission of new viruses from the wild and trigger new outbreaks.

Virologist Edward Holmes, who led research into Covid-19, told AFP that the global fur farming industry “is one of the most likely ways in which a new pandemic will break out”.

“I personally think the fur farming industry should be shut down globally,” he added.

Holmes is co-author of a new study examining the potential danger posed by viruses on fur farms in the country where the first COVID cases emerged in late 2019.

The China-led team of researchers sequenced genetic material from lung and intestinal samples of 461 animals such as minks, rabbits, foxes and raccoon dogs that died of diseases across the country between 2021 and 2024.

Most came from fur farms, some were also raised for food or traditional medicine, while around 50 were wild animals.

The team detected 125 viruses, including 36 new ones, according to the study published in the journal Nature.

Thirty-nine of these viruses pose a “high risk” of transmission between species, including to humans, the researchers assessed.

Some of these viruses, such as hepatitis E and Japanese encephalitis, have already spread to humans, but 13 were new, the study said.

Several types of bird flu have also been detected in guinea pigs, minks and muskrats.

Seven types of coronavirus were also detected, although none were closely related to SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.

Virus “alarm bell”

The virus that most concerned Holmes was the “HKU5-like virus of the Pipistrellus bat.” It had been detected in bats before, but it was found in the lungs of two farmed mink.

It is a relative of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, which can be fatal to humans.

“The fact that we are now seeing the virus jump from bats to farmed mink should serve as a wake-up call,” said Holmes, who is a professor at the University of Sydney.

“This virus must be monitored.”

Thousands of unknown viruses are believed to be circulating among wild mammals. Scientists fear that fur farms could allow animals to become infected, which could in turn expose humans to the disease.

The leading theory about the origin of COVID is that it started in bats and then passed to humans through the wildlife trade.

“I firmly believe that the wildlife trade is responsible for the emergence of SARS-CoV-2,” Holmes said.

“And I think the fur farming trade that goes with it could easily give rise to another viral pandemic,” he added.

In the study, researchers called for increased surveillance of fur-farmed animals, particularly mink, raccoon dogs and guinea pigs, which have recorded the most “high-risk” viruses.

Denmark culled its entire mink population due to COVID fears in 2020, but has since re-authorized the practice.

© 2024 AFP