Experts warn new pig virus may also be dangerous for humans

A pork virus endangers the health of humans?

Researchers have now identified a new virus in pigs, which could also pose a threat to humans. The virus seems to be able to spread from pigs to humans.

The scientists from Ohio State University (USA) and Utrecht University in the Netherlands found in their current research that a specific virus appears to be able to transfer from pigs to humans. Of course, this raises concerns about how a potential outbreak could affect humans. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "PNAS".

Pigs can become infected with a special virus, which leads to a serious illness and not infrequently to the death of the animal. Researchers have now discovered that the virus appears to be transmitted from pigs to humans. (Image: Kadmy / fotolia.com)

Laboratory-grown human cells were infected

So far, the newly identified virus, the porcine deltacoronavirus, has already infected cultured cells of humans and other species in a laboratory. However, a real pig-to-human transmission has probably not yet taken place, the researchers report.

Viral infection can be fatal for pigs

The virus was first discovered in China in 2012, but was not associated with any illness there, explain the physicians. In the US, it was detected in 2014 during a diarrhea outbreak in pigs in Ohio. If pigs are infected with the virus, they can get acute diarrhea and vomiting, which can even lead to the death of the animal, the experts add.

Why are coronaviruses so dangerous??

The new coronavirus is very worrisome. It can cause severe damage to animals, but it is particularly dangerous that the virus can be transmitted to humans, study author Professor. Linda Saif of the Ohio State University Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.

How does an infection go??

The swine viruses used a specific docking site on the cell surface to infect various species. This receptor is called aminopeptidase-N. Such receptors are found on respiratory and digestive tracts of animals and humans. The virus has the potential to infect various hosts. This is particularly alarming because the swine virus is already widespread worldwide, say the experts. Pigs exist in many countries, they are the second most bred farm animals in the world.

Virus is similar to SARS and MERS

So far, no human disease cases have been documented by the virus. However, the scientists are concerned about the similarity of the virus to SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS. These two viral diseases were also originally from animals, but later also infected humans and even led to some deaths.

Virus can also affect cats and chickens

The Porcine delta coronavirus (PDCoV) has only affected human cell cultures in a laboratory, but so far no real humans have been infected. Saif. It has also been found that the virus can also bind to receptors in cells of cats and chickens.

Further research is needed

The next step is to better understand the virus and its potential for human infection. It must be searched for antibodies in the blood, which could serve as evidence that the swine virus has previously infected people, the doctors say. At least, such a disease is not yet known. It is also unclear how successful an infection by the virus in humans would be. Could it also multiply in human cells and transfer from there to other humans or animals? Further investigations are now to analyze the blood samples of people who had previously come in contact with diseased pigs. In general, the occurrence of new coronaviruses is not without danger, they are able to cause great damage in animals and can be transmitted to humans, explains study author Professor Dr. med. Saif. (As)