WHO says coronavirus unlikely to have leaked from China lab

The coronavirus is unlikely to have leaked from a Chinese lab and is more likely to have jumped to humans from an animal a World Health Organisation expert said on TuesdayWHO food safety and animal diseases expert Peter Ben Embarek made the assessment at the end of a visit to the central Chinese city of Wuhan where a team of scientists is investigating the possible origins of the coronavirus The first cases were discovered in the city in December 2019The Wuhan Institute of Virology has collected extensive virus samples leading to allegations that it may have caused the original outbreak by leaking the virus into the surrounding community China has strongly rejected that possibility and has promoted other theories that the virus may have originated elsewhere The team is considering several theories for how the disease first ended up in humansldquoOur initial findings suggest that the introduction through an intermediary host species is the most likely pathway and one that will require more studies and more specific targeted researchrdquo Embarek saidldquoHowever the findings suggest that the laboratory incidents hypothesis is extremely unlikely to explain the introduction of the virus to the human populationrdquo Embarek saidThe WHO team draws on experts from 10 countries Its mission is intended to be an initial step delving into the origins of the virus which is believed to have originated in bats before being passed to humans through another species of wild animal such as a pangolin or bamboo rat which is considered an exotic delicacy by some in ChinaTransmission through the trade in frozen products was also a likely possibility Embarek saidAnother member of the WHO team told The Associated Press late last week that they enjoyed a greater level of openness than they had anticipated and that they were granted full access to all sites and personnel they requestedThat expert Britishborn zoologist Peter Daszak said the team looked into issues including what the first cases were the link with animals and what if any the role that imports of frozen food may have played a theory that China has long put forwardThe visit by the WHO team took months to negotiate after China only agreed to it amid massive international pressure at the World Health Assembly meeting last May and Beijing has continued to resist calls for a strictly independent investigationChinese authorities have kept a tight hold on information about the possible causes of the pandemic that has now killed more than 23 million worldwideThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever