Changes

The ''Washington Post'' indicated "The trigger point for the current coronavirus remains unclear, but [[China]] has linked the outbreak to the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, which despite its name also appeared to be selling live cats and dogs, wild chickens, snakes and marmots."<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/coronavirus-outbreak-underscores-potential-health-risks-in-chinas-wild-animal-trade/2020/01/25/5f5353be-3f6f-11ea-971f-4ce4f94494b4_story.html Coronavirus outbreak underscores potential health risks in China’s wild animal trade], ''Washington Post'', 2020</ref>  CNN reported concerning China: "Vendors in small city markets often sell wild animals including rodents, yak, snakes and even porcupines, and experts say that makes them far more dangerous. The meat could contain deadly pathogens like the coronavirus."<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/world/coronavirus-china-bans-wildlife-trade-trnd/index.html Chinese officials crack down on wildlife markets as coronavirus outbreak nears 3,000 cases]</ref>

The ''Washington Post'' indicated "The trigger point for the current coronavirus remains unclear, but [[China]] has linked the outbreak to the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, which despite its name also appeared to be selling live cats and dogs, wild chickens, snakes and marmots."<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/coronavirus-outbreak-underscores-potential-health-risks-in-chinas-wild-animal-trade/2020/01/25/5f5353be-3f6f-11ea-971f-4ce4f94494b4_story.html Coronavirus outbreak underscores potential health risks in China’s wild animal trade], ''Washington Post'', 2020</ref>  CNN reported concerning China: "Vendors in small city markets often sell wild animals including rodents, yak, snakes and even porcupines, and experts say that makes them far more dangerous. The meat could contain deadly pathogens like the coronavirus."<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/world/coronavirus-china-bans-wildlife-trade-trnd/index.html Chinese officials crack down on wildlife markets as coronavirus outbreak nears 3,000 cases]</ref>

The Wuhan coronavirus outbreak has been blamed on China's "wet markets," where raw meat is sold side-by-side with live animals, including illegally sold wild animals.  The first reported infected individuals, some of whom showed symptoms as early as December 8, 2019 were discovered to be among stallholders from the Wuhan South China Seafood Market.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBxZ1XIYmGc&feature=push-prem-sub&attr_tag=Pi2j7UuDGqgDAixI%3A6</ref>  This market is said to have sold processed meats and live animals, including chickens, donkeys, sheep, pigs, foxes, badgers, bamboo rats, hedgehogs, and snakes.<ref>"[https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-chinese-wet-market-photos-2020-1#the-huanan-wholesale-seafood-market-in-wuhan-closed-on-january-1-after-it-was-found-to-be-the-most-likely-starting-point-for-the-outbreak-of-this-coronavirus-called-2019-ncov-1 The outbreaks of both the Wuhan coronavirus and SARS likely started in Chinese wet markets. Photos show what the markets look like.]", ''Business Insider''</ref>

The Wuhan coronavirus outbreak has been blamed on China's "wet markets," where raw meat is sold side-by-side with live animals, including illegally sold wild animals.  The first case can be traced back to November 17, 2019, and the first death on December 9, 2019. Some cases were rumored among stallholders from the Wuhan South China Seafood Market in early December but hushed up by Chinese authorities.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBxZ1XIYmGc&feature=push-prem-sub&attr_tag=Pi2j7UuDGqgDAixI%3A6</ref>  This market is said to have sold processed meats and live animals, including chickens, donkeys, sheep, pigs, foxes, badgers, bamboo rats, hedgehogs, and snakes.<ref>"[https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-chinese-wet-market-photos-2020-1#the-huanan-wholesale-seafood-market-in-wuhan-closed-on-january-1-after-it-was-found-to-be-the-most-likely-starting-point-for-the-outbreak-of-this-coronavirus-called-2019-ncov-1 The outbreaks of both the Wuhan coronavirus and SARS likely started in Chinese wet markets. Photos show what the markets look like.]", ''Business Insider''</ref>

Previous coronavirus outbreaks include SARS-CoV in 2002-2003 and MERS-CoV in 2012. Both of these strains originated in bats.  SARS was transferred to humans through a masked palm civet, presumably in a Chinese wet market.  MERS was transferred through a camel in Saudi Arabia.  The protein codes in the Wuhan virus are most similar to those found in snakes, so it is possible that the virus jumped to humans from a snake.  Snakes often hunt bats for food, but disease rarely transmits from a warm-blooded animal to a cold-blooded animal.<ref>"[https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/22/health/snakes-wuhan-coronavirus-outbreak-conversation-partner/index.html Snakes could be the source of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak]," CNN, January 24, 2020.</ref>

Previous coronavirus outbreaks include SARS-CoV in 2002-2003 and MERS-CoV in 2012. Both of these strains originated in bats.  SARS was transferred to humans through a masked palm civet, presumably in a Chinese wet market.  MERS was transferred through a camel in Saudi Arabia.  The protein codes in the Wuhan virus are most similar to those found in snakes, so it is possible that the virus jumped to humans from a snake.  Snakes often hunt bats for food, but disease rarely transmits from a warm-blooded animal to a cold-blooded animal.<ref>"[https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/22/health/snakes-wuhan-coronavirus-outbreak-conversation-partner/index.html Snakes could be the source of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak]," CNN, January 24, 2020.</ref>