코로나19 확산 동물 때문?…미 CDC "가능성 작다"

동물→사람 전염 가능성 논란…"작아" vs "그럴듯해"

코로나19, 사람 - 동물간 전파 (PG)

[권도윤 제작] 일러스트

(서울=연합뉴스) 홍준석 기자 = 사람뿐 아니라 동물도 신종 코로나바이러스 감염증(코로나19)에 걸리는 사례가 늘어나면서 동물이 코로나19를 확산하는 매개체인지 의구심이 제기되고 있다.

미국 보건당국은 코로나19 확산에 동물이 중요한 역할을 했다는 증거는 없다고 일축했다.

17일(현지시간) 미국 CNN방송 등에 따르면 네덜란드에서는 현재까지 최소 25개 밍크농장에서 코로나19에 걸린 밍크가 있는 것으로 보고됐다.

스페인 북부에 있는 한 밍크농장에서는 지난 13일(현지시간) 코로나19 검진을 한 결과 90마리 중 78마리가 양성 반응을 보여 농장에 있던 밍크 9만2천700마리가 살처분됐다.

미국 뉴욕과 홍콩 등지에서도 동물들이 코로나19에 걸린 사례가 확인됐다.

뉴욕 브롱크스동물원에서는 지난 4월 호랑이와 사자 7마리가 코로나19 확진 판정을 받기도 했다.

지난 4월 동물원에 살던 호랑이와 사자가 코로나19 검진에서 양성 반응을 보여 폐장한 미국 뉴욕 브롱크스동물원

[AFP=연합뉴스]

하지만 동물이 사람에게 코로나바이러스를 전파하는 주요 매개체인지는 아직 밝혀지지 않았다고 미국 CNN 방송은 보도했다.

미 질병통제예방센터(CDC)는 코로나19에 걸린 동물들은 같은 병에 걸린 사람들과 접촉한 후 확진됐다면서 "동물이 사람에게 코로나19를 전파할 가능성은 작은 것으로 여겨진다"고 밝혔다.

반면 네덜란드 보건당국은 밍크가 사람에게 코로나19를 전파할 가능성에 대해 "그럴듯하다"면서 밍크농장에 코로나19 검사를 의무적으로 실시하게 했다.

세계보건기구(WHO)는 동물과 접촉할 때 마스크를 쓰거나 얼굴을 만지지 않는 등의 위생수칙을 따라야 한다고 밝혔다.

다만 코로나19 확산의 책임은 동물이 아닌 사람에게 있다는게 전문가들의 지적이다.

일부 전문가들은 국제학술지 '사이언스 어드밴시스'(Science Advances)에 발표한 논문을 통해 각종 야생동물을 한데 모아놓고 우리에 가둬 판매하는 수산시장을 운영한 인류가 코로나19 팬데믹(세계적 대유행)을 자초했다고 지적했다.

또 이들은 인수공통 감염병을 예방하기 위해서는 사람과 야생동물의 접촉을 줄이거나 없애야 한다고 주장했다.

세계적 동물학자이자 환경운동가인 제인 구달도 인류가 산림과 서식지를 파괴하고 공장식 축산농장을 운영해 자연 상태에서는 서로 볼 일이 없는 동물들을 같이 살게 만들면서 새로운 바이러스가 출현하기 좋은 환경을 제공했다고 지적했다.

세계적 동물학자이자 환경운동가인 제인 구달

[EPA=연합뉴스]

honk0216@yna.co.kr

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