New virus in pigs could jump to humans, researchers say

A new strain of coronavirus that causes acute diarrhea in piglets may have the potential to jump to humans, a new study shows.

The virus, known as swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV), could “negatively impact the global economy and human health,” according to the study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which was reported by India’s Economic Times.

SADS-CoV emerged from bats and has infected pig herds throughout China since it was first discovered in 2016. Unlike betacoronaviruses that cause COVID-19, SARS and MERS, this one is an alphacoronavirus, a type that the researchers say could potentially be a greater human health threat.

“While many investigators focus on the emergent potential of the betacoronaviruses like SARS and MERS, actually the alphacoronavirus may prove equally prominent—if not greater—concerns to human health, given their potential to rapidly jump between species,” said study coauthor Ralph Baric.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made biosecurity a prominent concern in swine operations. While significant data is unavailable, lack of biosecurity compliance in other fields may indicate there are gaps in the swine industry, researchers wrote recently in National Hog Farmer.

They used camera data from one swine farm to observe biosecurity compliance among the farm’s personnel. They found that over a three-week period, workers in one key area of the facility were more likely to fail to comply with safety protocols when they were alone as opposed to part of a group.