BEIJING : Sunda pangolins that were confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade in Vietnam were found to host SARS-CoV-2 related coronaviruses, said a study.
The finding also suggests that risk of the novel coronavirus spreading from trade in animals goes way beyond the markets in China.
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health on Wednesday, provided further evidence that the transnational nature of the wildlife trade can facilitate coronavirus and other viral transmission and amplification along the trade chain.
A team led by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) noted that previously, only pangolins confiscated in China had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 related coronaviruses.