As the Earth’s situation worsens due to years of global warming and accelerated climate change, the incidence of freak occurrences and new viruses are going to go up and there’s already another new virus - the Cat Que virus.
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Pandemic potential?
Researches warned - in a July study - that the Cat Que virus, reported mainly in China, could cause a pandemic if it started spreading.
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What is it?
The Cat Que virus is present in Culex mosquitoes while pigs are the primary mammalian hosts. The risk of it spreading to humans is a major concern, with two samples having shown antibodies to the virus.
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The study
In a 2017-18 study, scientists analysed over 800 serum samples from across India, looking for the Cat Que virus. While they didn’t find the virus itself, they found antibodies to it in two of the samples, which means they had the virus and formed a defense to it.
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How dangerous is it?
As of now, scientists have not yet ascertained the harm the virus can cause, but they are sure of its spreading capabilities, with India having all the parts of the problem ready - from mosquitos to pigs and the presence of the virus in the jungle myna.
