The outbreak of a new coronavirus disease, named Covid-19, raises the question of where a disease like this comes from and where the risks lie.

It is clear that the virus may have an animal reservoir. In other words, it may be permanently found in a host species of animal, where it does not normally cause disease. Viruses can spill over from the host to other animals and humans. Evidence points to a possible initial spillover of the virus into humans and other animals in an animal market in Wuhan in China...

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