Raccoon dogs, minks in focus as China animal study uncovers dozens of new viruses

A study of more than 450 dead fur animals in China has revealed dozens of new viruses and cross-species infections, including some with high risk of human spillover.

Raccoon dogs and minks carried the highest number of potentially high-risk viruses, according to findings published in the latest issue of Nature, including a mink virus closely related to those only found in bats so far.

“Fur farming represents an important transmission hub for viral zoonoses”, the study authors said, with some viruses having already spilled over to humans.

Scientists from several Chinese universities and some from overseas took part in the research, including Edward Holmes, a virologist at The University of Sydney.

In early 2020, Holmes helped Shanghai virologist Zhang Yongzhen become the first to publicise the genome sequence for Sars-CoV-2 – the coronavirus strain that causes Covid-19. The sharing of the data with the international community helped to speed up vaccine development as the pandemic raged.

For the farm animal study, which began in 2021, the scientists collected internal tissues from 461 animals that had died of disease across China.