Natural Spillovers Over Pre-Adaptation, UCSD Study Finds
TL;DR
UC San Diego researchers analyzed genomes from influenza A, Ebola, Marburg, mpox, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 and found that most zoonotic viruses do not show adaptive evolution before jumping to humans; SARS-CoV-2 shows no lab-adaptation signal, consistent with natural spillover, while the 1977 H1N1 pandemic shows lab-adaptation signatures—together providing a framework to distinguish natural outbreaks from laboratory manipulation and guiding future outbreak surveillance.
- Recent Pandemic Viruses Jumped to Humans Without Prior Adaptation, UC San Diego Study Finds UC San Diego Today
- Viral Outbreaks Take a Common Path from Animals to People, Study Finds The New York Times
- Most Pandemic Viruses Show No Signs of Lab Adaptation — Except This One Historical Outbreak Discover Magazine
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