No Evidence to Show Thai Bats Cause Covid-19

Paphamon Arayasukawat

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - Thai researchers have insisted that the coronavirus found in a horseshoe bat population in Chachoengsao province last year is not a strain that is transmissible to humans, after several reports suggested that the Covid-19 pandemic may have originated in Thailand.

 

Supaporn Wacharapluesadee, a researcher with the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases-Health Science Centre, said they are in the same family of coronaviruses, but they do not cause Covid-19.

 

She made the statement after reports published by a Russian news agency said researchers have found a new strain of coronaviruses in a Thai bat colony which closely resembles the Sars-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19.

 

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-03-03

 

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a few weeks ago supaporn published an article, together with many other thai scientists

"Evidence for SARS-CoV-2 related coronaviruses circulating in bats and pangolins in Southeast Asia"

 

here from an abstract:

"The discovery of RaTG13 bat coronavirus in China suggested a high probability of a bat origin. Here we report molecular and serological evidence of SARS-CoV-2 related coronaviruses (SC2r-CoVs) actively circulating in bats in Southeast Asia. Whole genome sequences were obtained from five independent bats (Rhinolophus acuminatus) in a Thai cave yielding a single isolate (named RacCS203) which is most related to the RmYN02 isolate found in Rhinolophus malayanus in Yunnan, China. SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies were also detected in bats of the same colony and in a pangolin at a wildlife checkpoint in Southern Thailand. "

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-21240-1

it wasn't really a cave, it was a water drainage pipe in Chachoengsao not far from Bangkok. From the paper:

 

"colony of ~300 bats was located in an artificial cave of a 1-m-diameter irrigation water pipe in a Wildlife Sanctuary, Chachoengsao "

 

There was never any serious suggestion that the Thai bat virus RacCS203 would have led to Sars-2-CoV. It can't even bond to ACE2 receptors. The Thai paper echoes the general view that bats pose a potential threat of more coronaviruses like SARS1, MERS, and SARS2.  MERS is thought to come from Egyptian tomb bats, a bit classier than a 1m drainage pipe. Don't temples have bats?

 

The Two Chinese viruses RaTG13 and RmYN02 are also a long stretch initially pushed by China as evidence of a non-lab origin. As reported by a Chinese paper, RmYN02 was one of 277 new viruses brought back to the Virological Institute from a Yunnan field trip around October 2019, just before the first signs of COVID-19.

No, but proof-positive that Thai buffaloes at the markets do!

It might also be said there is no evidence that Sars Cov 2 didn't originate in bats in Thailand!

Of course coronaviruses  in bats -- this or any other one --  are not normally directly transmittable to humans. This is a known. Which is why tracing the origins of COVID-129 is a complex undertaking. Somehow, a coronavirus normally present in bats jumped species - maybe once (bat --->human) or twice or even more times (i..e. one or more intermediate host). There will almost surely have been one or more mutations needed to make that jump. This is what investigators are seeking to understand. There will also have had to be close contact between humans and the bats or intermediate hosts.

 

It is a fact that so far the bat coronavirus strains most similar to COVID-19 have been isolated in horseshoe bats in SE Asia. There is wildlife trade between SE Asia and China. These are simple facts.

 

Which country the original bat virus strain was in  in itself is actually of no particular importance. What is important is how it jumped into humans. Defensiveness/nationalism is not helpful to that endeavor.

 

And it is very important to learn this because there are many, many more corona and other viruses where this one came from.

 

Also very important to clamp down on wildlife trade for the same reason.

 

In my lifetime alone we have seen the emergence of: HIV, Ebola, Marsburg, SARS, MERS and now COVID. All the result of viruses in animals crossing over to humans. There will be more.

2 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

In my lifetime alone we have seen the emergence of: HIV, Ebola, Marsburg, SARS, MERS and now COVID. All the result of viruses in animals crossing over to humans. There will be more.

Think BIS (Buffalo Inflation Syndrome) has already hit the bar girl population

18 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Of course coronaviruses  in bats -- this or any other one --  are not normally directly transmittable to humans. This is a known. Which is why tracing the origins of COVID-129 is a complex undertaking. Somehow, a coronavirus normally present in bats jumped species - maybe once (bat --->human) or twice or even more times (i..e. one or more intermediate host). There will almost surely have been one or more mutations needed to make that jump. This is what investigators are seeking to understand. There will also have had to be close contact between humans and the bats or intermediate hosts.

 

It is a fact that so far the bat coronavirus strains most similar to COVID-19 have been isolated in horseshoe bats in SE Asia. There is wildlife trade between SE Asia and China. These are simple facts.

 

Which country the original bat virus strain was in  in itself is actually of no particular importance. What is important is how it jumped into humans. Defensiveness/nationalism is not helpful to that endeavor.

 

And it is very important to learn this because there are many, many more corona and other viruses where this one came from.

 

Also very important to clamp down on wildlife trade for the same reason.

 

In my lifetime alone we have seen the emergence of: HIV, Ebola, Marsburg, SARS, MERS and now COVID. All the result of viruses in animals crossing over to humans. There will be more.

 

Indeed, and well said.

 

Our health is at risk whilst:

 

1. Wildlife markets are important parts of the economys of some places, and

 

2. Researchers, Ph. D. students, and the like, continue (unfettered, it seems) to stomp around in caves, etc., looking for subjects to base studies - in their eternal quest to get published.

No evidence, I'm sure some Chinese tourist can bring you some!

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

In my lifetime alone we have seen the emergence of: HIV, Ebola, Marsburg, SARS, MERS and now COVID. All the result of viruses in animals crossing over to humans. There will be more.

Yes Sheryl, we shall see more of these Virus cross overs from Animals to Humans.

One such worrying Virus, that the WHO and many others have there beady eyes on is called Nipah Virus, which has a very high Mortality Rate 

8 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

Yes Sheryl, we shall see more of these Virus cross overs from Animals to Humans.

One such worrying Virus, that the WHO and many others have there beady eyes on is called Nipah Virus, which has a very high Mortality Rate 

 

Nipa has already crossed and there have been a number of large outbreaks in human populations.

I only thought that thee were several small outbreaks across S Asia.

Large outbreaks is somewhat worrying, as this one seems to be a very nasty beast indeed.

They were going on about ferrets and hedgehogs a few weeks back .

Only found in farang bats then????

Has batboy in the pic' been winged by antibat fire with the hole in his wing ..

4 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

Has batboy in the pic' been winged by antibat fire with the hole in his wing ..

I wonder if it affects his aerodynamics - does it make him fly in circles? Would he get an airworthiness certificate with that?

8 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

I wonder if it affects his aerodynamics - does it make him fly in circles? Would he get an airworthiness certificate with that?

 

In Thailand no pompam .. 

though he might get a visit from Plod for having his todge out in public as they get a bit touchy about that sort of thing ..

3 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

Yes Sheryl, we shall see more of these Virus cross overs from Animals to Humans.

One such worrying Virus, that the WHO and many others have there beady eyes on is called Nipah Virus, which has a very high Mortality Rate 

CEPI has contracted three companies to create vaccine candidates for Nipah. They have similar projects for other zoonotic viruses. 

15 hours ago, placnx said:

CEPI has contracted three companies to create vaccine candidates for Nipah. They have similar projects for other zoonotic viruses. 

I hope they produce a vaccine soon, because if this beast gets out big time there will be a World of hurt that will make the Covid 19 Outbreak seem like a head cold.

Nipah  has a 40 -75 % Mortality rate, and has been linked to possible use in Bio Warfare weapons.

A real bad Boy.

A coronavirus misinformation post and resulting reply have been removed.

On 3/3/2021 at 12:00 PM, webfact said:

No Evidence to Show Thai Bats Cause Covid-19

 

That this denial needs to be made means China ha a already gained. They are merely muddying the water by forcing a range of conspiracy theories around origin outside China. 

 

Let's not lose focus on the true enemy ????????????