Scientists at Uppsala University have discovered a new type of coronavirus in voles, which are among the most common rodents in Europe. It is also known as Grimsö virus because it was found in vole samples collected and examined near the town of Grimsö. It is still unclear whether the pathogen can be transmitted to humans and whether there is a risk of zoonosis.
It has long been known that mice carry various coronaviruses and other viral pathogens. For their study, a team led by Anishia Wasberg of Uppsala University took tissue samples from 260 voles and examined them for viral RNA. The scientists compared the gene sequences with those of known coronavirus strains.
New variant of the beta coronavirus
It turned out that the RNA found in 3.4 percent of the bank mice was a new variant from the group of beta-coronaviruses. In addition to some specific rodent viruses, this also includes the virus species MERS-CoV, which was first identified in 2012, as well as SARS and SARS-CoV-2.
The pathogen that has now been discovered is very different from the known rodent coronaviruses. “The Grimsö sequences showed less than 60 percent identity at the RNA level and less than 50 percent at the amino acid level. This suggests that Grimsö virus forms its own group within the embecoviruses (a subgenus of the genus Betacoronavirus, note),” they say. the Swedish scientists.
It is not yet known whether the Grimsö virus can also be transmitted to humans or whether there is a risk of zoonosis (an infectious disease that can be transmitted between animals and humans; please note). This requires further research, according to the Swedish researchers.
Source: Krone
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