Origins of covid-19 linked to raccoon dogs in Wuhan – WHO

Raccoon dogs are not directly implicated in the origin of covid-19, but the species is susceptible to the virus and newly-revealed molecular evidence shows the presence of the animal in the Wuhan market in January 2020. Picture: Andyworks/iStock

Newly-released data gathered from a Chinese seafood market suggests links between raccoon dogs and the origins of covid-19, the World Health Organization has said. 

Analysis of DNA found molecular evidence of raccoon dogs at the market in Wuhan, the city first impacted on a large scale by the virus.