COVID-19 likely reached humans through the wildlife trade, not direct bat-to-human contact, new research has suggested.

In a significant study published by researchers from the University of California San Diego (UCSD), findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic may have originated from zoonotic spillovers through the wildlife trade, similar to the SARS outbreak in 2002. This research, which appears in the journal Cell, outlines that the ancestor of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, is believed to have originated in horseshoe bats located in western China or northern Laos, well before the initial cases were reported in Wuhan. Looking at historical data, researchers traced the genetic lineage of sarbecoviruses, revealing that these viruses could not have spread naturally over the vast geographical distance to Wuhan; the distances involved would require an unnatural vector, likely the wildlife trade. Joel Wertheim, co-senior author of the study, emphasizes that this investigation aligns with previous conclusions indicating that viruses like SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 originated with bats but were subsequently transmitted to humans through intermediate hosts. For SARS-CoV-1, animals like palm civets were implicated. Similar patterns are now emerging with SARS-CoV-2, wherein the viruses were likely transported by wild animals traded for meat or fur rather than through direct transmission from bats to humans. The rapid spread of these viruses points to significant concerns regarding the wildlife trade and zoonotic diseases as a growing risk as interactions between humans and wildlife continue to increase due to urbanization and habitat destruction. Moreover, researchers are urging continuous monitoring of bat populations to predict the next potential outbreak, reflecting proactive solutions in the face of evolving disease threats. With the backdrop of ongoing debates around the origin of COVID-19, this study challenges the lab-leak theory, asserting that the epidemiological patterns mirror those observed with SARS. Overall, this research sheds light on the complex evolutionary history of coronaviruses and raises critical questions about our efforts to contain and prevent future pandemics, linking wildlife conservation and public health more closely than ever before.