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Slack / Private Message Drop, p.306 [SLACK_000520] · slack_pm:msg:03211

Date: 2020-12-10 00:59
Type: chat message · slack
recipient: Kristian G. Andersen, Robert F. Garry, Edward C. Holmes
speaker: Andrew Rambaut
Topics: Furin cleavage site and molecular features

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It seems highly likely that SARS-CoV-2 went through a carnivore to get to us but I would imagine leopard cats (noteto self - seems to be a small cat, not a leopard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_cat) would not be the one with much human contact. Interesting though if it requires the ACE2 RBD to infect carnivores (i.e., not in RaTG13 but probably in some related bat virus).

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reference https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_cat

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2020-12-10 00:53 Edward C. Holmes open

This is from one of the people at the South China Agricultural University who did that pango 99 stuff. They are good guys, and honest, just a bit naive. Anyway, this is interesting snippet: "BTW, this week, I collected some leopard catsin a place near the village where bat RaTG13 was collected.I detected some gene segments that was highly similar with the bat CoV.It's interesting that these cats may capture bats for food, and infected by the bat virusesnaturelly.This would give us some new knowledge about the circulation of bat CoVs.Can you suggest some conserved primers of -CoVs? I will try my best to collect more felids in that region."
2020-12-10 00:59 Andrew Rambaut

It seems highly likely that SARS-CoV-2 went through a carnivore to get to us but I would imagine leopard cats (noteto self - seems to be a small cat, not a leopard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_cat) would not be the one with much human contact. Interesting though if it requires the ACE2 RBD to infect carnivores (i.e., not in RaTG13 but probably in some related bat virus).
2020-12-10 01:15 Edward C. Holmes open

Agreed. Just great hear about more related viruses. I'll let you know when I hear more. Felids are clearly great hosts.

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