JAKARTA - A group of scientists in the United States are studying COVID-19 in animals and the environment to identify the origins of the deadly virus and a potential source of future pandemic threat, according to a recent ABC7 Eyewitness News report.
"We know that viruses can jump species and what we want to know next, or can find out as early as possible, which is whether there are other species?" asked Vanessa Hale, an assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine at Ohio State University.
Hale and a team of microbiologists and other scientists are part of a program called eScout, according to the Southern California news outlet.
The program is designed to identify viruses in different animals as well as determine whether those animals have mutations capable of spreading COVID-19 back to humans.
"We're testing deer, squirrels, minks, rabbits and are working with a lot of different members of the community, like vets and veterinary clinics to test things like ferrets too. We're also testing pigs at farm shows. So, at state fairs. sections and areas where pigs may be gathered for display," Hale was quoted as saying in the report.
Scientists are also monitoring wastewater and urban streams for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to determine what variants of the virus are circulating, which they think will be important in the long-term COVID-19 prevention measures.
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