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Review
. 2020 Sep 30:11:580137.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.580137. eCollection 2020.

The Potential Intermediate Hosts for SARS-CoV-2

Jie Zhao  1 , Wei Cui  1 , Bao-Ping Tian  1
Affiliations
Review

The Potential Intermediate Hosts for SARS-CoV-2

Jie Zhao et al. Front Microbiol. .

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a global pandemic since the first report in Wuhan. COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease and the natural reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 seems to be bats. However, the intermediate host explaining the transmission and evolvement is still unclear. In addition to the wildlife which has access to contact with bats in the natural ecological environment and then infects humans in wildlife market, domestic animals are also able to establish themselves as the intermediate host after infected by SARS-CoV-2. Although recent studies related to SARS-CoV-2 have made a lot of progress, many critical issues are still unaddressed. Here, we reviewed findings regarding the investigations of the intermediate host, which may inspire future investigators and provide them with plenty of information. The results demonstrate the critical role of the intermediate host in the transmission chain of SARS-CoV-2, and the efficient intervention on this basis may be useful to prevent further deterioration of COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; intermediate host; review; transmission.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2 between hosts and humans. SARS-CoV-2, originated from bat-nCoV, infected wild animals and gradually evolved in the intermediate host after mutation and recombination. Wildlife business give chance for SARS-CoV-2 to infect humans and domestic animals. SARS-CoV-2 induce a pandemic in human population by respiratory droplet transmission and close contact transmission.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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