JAKARTA - A member of the World Health Organization (WHO) research team tasked with finding clues to the origin of COVID-19 in Wuhan City, China, said it was necessary to trace the genetic elements of the virus in bat caves.
Peter Daszak, a zoologist and veterinarian, said the team in Wuhan had received new information about how the virus, which was first identified in the city in late 2019, caused the pandemic.
Daszak, who was involved in research on the origins of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2002-2003, traced the origin of the virus to bats living in a cave in southwest China's Yunnan Province.
"Similar research needs to be done if we are to find the true origin of wildlife from COVID-19," said Daszak, head of the New York-based EcoHealth Alliance.
"Such work, to find possible sources of bats, is important because if we can find the source of this deadly virus, we can reduce contact with these animals," he told Reuters in an interview.
It is unclear whether China is currently taking samples from many bat caves, but a virus similar to SARS-CoV-2 has previously been found in Yunnan. Daszak said the team in Wuhan had received new information about how the virus caused the pandemic, but did not elaborate.
One scenario the team is examining more closely is the possibility that the virus may have circulated long before it was first identified in Wuhan. "I see the picture that comes from several scenarios looks more plausible than before," he said.
"That's something our group is looking at very intensely to see what level of community transmission might have occurred earlier. The real work we're doing here is tracing back from the first case back to the animal reservoir, and that's a much more convoluted road, and it may have been happening for months or even years, "he added.
He did not elaborate but said there was no evidence to suggest that the virus emerged from the laboratory. The origins of the coronavirus have become highly politicized following accusations, particularly by the United States (US), that China was not transparent in its initial handling of the outbreak.
Beijing has pushed for the idea that the virus originated elsewhere. Investigators have visited the hospital, research facility and seafood market where the first outbreak was identified, although their contact in Wuhan was limited to visits organized by Chinese authorities, their host.
Daszak said the Chinese authorities did not reject the team's request to visit the facility or meet with important figures. "Of course it's impossible to know what you didn't tell you, but what I saw in China, and what this group saw in China, is what we asked for, we were allowed to do it," Daszak said.
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