Scientists have proven that the new Omicron strain of Coronavirus began to affect rodents, which are also carriers of the plague. This is stated in the preprint of research published on the site Biorxiv.
The new variety is able to penetrate the organism of rats and mice and bind to the ACE2 receptors on the cell membrane using spike proteins, thus providing themselves with access to the cell.
“Unlike other organic compounds,” Omicron “seems to be able to contact the ACE2 rodents,” researchers believe. Coronaviruses are a zoonoous family of pathogens, that is, they infect both people and animals.
rodents are also carriers of the plague. According to scientists, a plague hit Europe and the Middle East in antiquity when climate change made migrating rodents from the steppes of Mongolia and China.
Earlier, the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat COVID-19 David Nabarro said that the new Omicron strain of Coronavirus extends extremely quickly, the number of new cases doubles every two or three days.