SARS research into wet markets 'should have continued' after the outbreak in 2003 as it could have prevented the current coronavirus pandemic, expert claims

• The 2003 SARS outbreak is thought to have originated in a Chinese wet market
• However, funding to research into its origins dried up after the pandemic ended
• We are paying for this now, infectious disease specialist David Heymann said
• Early cases of COVID-19 have been associated with a wet market in Wuhan

SARS research into wet markets 'should have continued' after the outbreak in 2003 as it could have prevented the current coronavirus pandemic, an expert has claimed.

The outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2003 was thought to have originated from a wet market in China's Guangdong province.

However, research funding dried up after the pandemic, said infectious disease specialist David Heymann of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The current coronavirus, Sars-Cov-2, is believed to have originated in bats and 'spilt over' into humans, but there is still no conclusive evidence as to how this occurred.

Early cases of COVID-19 have been linked to a wet market in Wuhan, China.

SARS research into wet markets 'should have continued' after the outbreak in 2003 as it could have prevented the current coronavirus pandemic, an expert has claimed. Pictured, a Farmer's Market in Guangzhou, China (file photo)

'Unfortunately, as happens when outbreaks end, the money dried up and studies were not continued,' Prof Heymann — who is widely credited as having led the shutdown of SARS — told a Chatham House briefing on COVID-19.

'We're paying for that actually today by not understanding exactly how this transmits in markets, if it does transmit in markets.'

Richard Kock — an epidemiologist at the Royal Veterinary College — has called for forensic investigation into the source of the Sars-Cov-2 virus behind COVID-19.

This is necessary, he explained, to try and prevent other outbreaks because 'conditions are ripe' for another virus to spill over from animals to humans.

'We still have not identified the source of SARS from 2003, and that's a big mistake,' he added.

'But you must remember there are very few people working in the field of wildlife health.

It is important, Professor Kock added, that we 'get the teams and the scientists out there. And let's really find out, precisely what goes on in this case, to avoid it happening again.'

'It will happen again. I'm sure of that because the conditions clearly are ripe for this sort of spill-over.'

'And we may get over this one [at] a huge cost. But what happens if we get a new one in two years' time?'

It would be 'nonsense', he added, to move to ban wet markets without first developing this understanding.

+2

The outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2003 was thought to have originated from a wet market in China's Guangdong province. However, research funding dried up after the pandemic, said infectious disease specialist David Heymann of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, pictured (file photo)

According to Professor Kock, it is 'worrying' that in the last few decades there has been an increase in the rate of emergence of new diseases, such as Ebola and HIV.

'What is worrying is evidence is suggesting that the rate of emergence of novel pathogens is increasing,' he said.

'So we've had a series of these events, which are having not only a social impact, but actually a nasty economic impact.'

It is important, Professor Kock added, that we 'get the teams and the scientists out there. And let's really find out, precisely what goes on in this case, to avoid it happening again.'

'It will happen again. I'm sure of that because the conditions clearly are ripe for this sort of spill-over.'

'And we may get over this one [at] a huge cost. But what happens if we get a new one in two years' time?'

It would be 'nonsense', he added, to move to ban wet markets without first developing this understanding.

+2

The outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2003 was thought to have originated from a wet market in China's Guangdong province. However, research funding dried up after the pandemic, said infectious disease specialist David Heymann of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, pictured (file photo)

According to Professor Kock, it is 'worrying' that in the last few decades there has been an increase in the rate of emergence of new diseases, such as Ebola and HIV.

'What is worrying is evidence is suggesting that the rate of emergence of novel pathogens is increasing,' he said.

'So we've had a series of these events, which are having not only a social impact, but actually a nasty economic impact.'