Pepper became an unlikely hero of disease investigation
Pepper became an unlikely hero of disease investigation. This amazing black cat discovered, for the second time, a new human virus.
For the superstitious, the black cats They are a sign of bad luck. However, one of these felines has brought luck to a team of scientists.
It is already the second new pathogen agent that Pepper can detect.
In a study recently in the Microbiologythe black kitten has revealed crucial in the discovery of a new virus capable of infecting humans.
Pepper, while doing what the cats best knows how to do, picked up and killed an Everglades short tail shit (Blarina peninsulae) – A small endemic poisonous mammal of the state of Florida.
Pepper’s owner, John Lednicky – Interestingly, a virologist at the Faculty of Public Health and Health Professions of the University of Florida – took the dead animal to the laboratory to examine it.
As referred to, Lednicky has been studying the transmission of the Vatola-Mula Virus for some time ago and Museranho has offered a surprise investigation opportunity related to his team’s work.
It was found that the musara was housing an unprecedented pathogenic agent of the genre Orthoreovirus. Mammal viruses in this group are known for infect many hosts, including humans.
Although, most of the time, the infection results in lightweight or intestinal problems, severe cases may result in central nervous system diseases (CNS), pneumonia, among other complications.
Its total impact on humans is not yet well known, but it has also been associated with encephalitis, meningitis and gastroenteritis in children. And just like flu, two different types of orthoreovirus can infect a host cell, which can lead to genetic mixture, creating new insects.
Lucky cat for the second time
Last year, Pepper had appeared to its owner with a mouse in the mouth. This led to the first discovery of a new virus by Pepper, now known as Gainesville rodent jeilongvirus 1.
It was the first time a jealongvirus-a paramixovirus associated with respiratory infections-was identified on American soil.
“O develops equally well in rodent cells, humans and non -human primates, which makes it an excellent candidate for a propagation event, ”said Lednicky in October, quoted by New Atlas.
Pepper was not affected by any of the new viruses and soon returned to the patrol in his Gainesville home.
“Cats have generally evolved to eat rodents and are not sick with the viruses carried by rodents,” Lednicky explained after Pepper’s mouse captured.
“But we have to do tests to see if the virus affects pets and humans,” he added.
