Scientists have confirmed exactly where the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus outbreak which has infected more than 2700 people and killed at least 81, began in Wuhan, China.
Experts from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said tests confirmed the virus first jumped from animals to humans inside the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in the heart of city, according to China’s state-owned Xinhua news agency.
The “wet” market which includes live animals for sale had been reported as the source of the outbreak, however samples now confirm that is the case after testing was carried out.
“Thirty-one of the 33 positive samples were collected from the western zone of the market, where booths of wildlife trading concentrated,” the CDC said.
“The result suggests that the novel coronavirus outbreak is highly relevant to the trading of the wild animals,” experts said.
Wildlife sold at the market for human consumption included wolf cubs, civet cats, bats, dogs, pigs, snakes, chickens, donkeys, badgers, bamboo rats, hedgehogs and deer. Wet markets place people and live and dead animals in close contact, making it easy for a virus to jump species.
The confirmation comes as China ramped up its sweeping efforts to contain the virus on Monday by extending its Lunar New Year holiday.
The end of the holiday period — China’s busiest travel season — was pushed back from Thursday to Sunday to “reduce mass gatherings” and “block the spread of the epidemic”, a Cabinet statement said.
Schools will also postpone reopening until further notice, it added.
Tens of millions of people had been due to crowd into planes, trains and buses to return to work after visiting their hometowns or tourist sites for the holiday.
But China’s health minister, Ma Xiaowei, has admitted the country is now entering a “crucial stage” where “the ability of the virus to spread is getting stronger.”
Source: News.com.au
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