Snakes may be the original source of the deadly infectious respiratory illness that has spread through China.
NO snake photos are used in this story, because I can’t handle snakes either. They are just creepy looking and I have a phobia, but even though I don’t wish them death, I’m happy to lay blame at their feet for this terrible illness.
Two specific snakes found in the Wuhan province of China, the Chinese krait and the Chinese cobra, have been listed as the possible source for this deadly virus that has killed over 20 people and sickened hundreds. The local food market appears to be ground zero for the infections.
From CNN.com:
The researchers used an analysis of the protein codes favored by the new coronavirus and compared it to the protein codes from coronaviruses found in different animal hosts, like birds, snakes, marmots, hedgehogs, manis, bats and humans. Surprisingly, they found that the protein codes in the 2019-nCoV are most similar to those used in snakes.
Snakes often hunt for bats in wild. Reports indicate that snakes were sold in the local seafood market in Wuhan, raising the possibility that the 2019-nCoV might have jumped from the host species — bats — to snakes and then to humans at the beginning of this coronavirus outbreak. However, how the virus could adapt to both the cold-blooded and warm-blooded hosts remains a mystery.
Sampling viral RNA from animals sold at the market and from wild snakes and bats is needed to confirm the origin of the virus. Nonetheless, the reported findings will also provide insights for developing prevention and treatment protocols.
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