According to Xinhua, Mongolian veterinarians for the first time in the country found the death of animals from a new coronavirus – two beavers in the nursery.
“Last month, two beavers died in our country under mysterious circumstances. The results of laboratory tests showed that the cause was COVID-19, “said Adiasuren Tuvshinbayara, an expert of the Main Department of Veterinary Service.
Mongolia confirms first animal deaths involving 2 beavers due to COVID-19 https://t.co/1oqv2QwigX
— Dimsumdaily Hong Kong (@dimsumdaily_hk) September 15, 2021
The dead animals were from the beaver breeding center of the Ministry of Environment. Infection with the delta variant was detected in seven more beavers. They had symptoms such as cough and runny nose, and now they are cured.
According to a joint report by the World Health Organization and China published in May, the new coronavirus was transmitted from wild animals to humans through an intermediate animal. It is possible that it first spread to a population that served as a natural “reservoir” in which the virus mutated, overcame the interspecies barrier and became able to infect humans.