LONDON: Swedish studies have identified a novel coronavirus that is widely seen in red-backed voles, which are small, stocky rodents that are similar to field mice.

According to the scientists from Uppsala University's Zoonosis Science Center, a study of about 260 bank voles gathered around Grimso in Orebro County, Sweden, demonstrates that the virus is well established in red-backed voles. Their findings were published in the Viruses journal.

"We continuously detected the 'Grimso Virus' in 3.4 percent of these voles between 2015 and 2017, indicating that the virus is ubiquitous and common in Sweden's bank voles," said Ake Lundkvist, professor of virology and director of the Centre.

The researchers mapped zoonotic viruses in order to better understand how viruses interact with their hosts.

Seasonal coronaviruses, such as HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-HKU1, appear to have propagated to humans through rodents such as rats, mice, and voles, unlike the SARS-CoV and MERS coronaviruses, which originate in bats.
The researchers discovered a new coronavirus called the aGrimso Virus, which belongs to the betacoronavirus family, which also includes SARS-CoV, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2.

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