ZOONOTIC viruses do not need extensive adaptation before spreading among humans, according to a new study examining the evolutionary history of several high-profile pathogens. The findings challenge assumptions about how viruses jump from animals to humans and may inform surveillance of future outbreaks.
Zoonotic viruses are pathogens that naturally circulate in animals but can infect humans, sometimes causing epidemics or pandemics. Understanding whether these viruses require adaptation in an animal host before becoming transmissible to humans has been a long-standing question in virology.
Zoonotic Viruses Can Transmit Without Pre-Human Adaptation
Researchers used a phylogenetic framework to analyse selection patterns in viruses including Ebola, Marburg, mpox, influenza A, and SARS-CoV-2. They found no…