EpiStack

H-42 - Research-related leak of an unmodified naturally-evolved virus (zoonotic collection)

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Properties12
type
hypothesis
id
H-42
state
active
question
Did SARS-CoV-2 reach humans via research activity involving a natural, unmodified virus (zoonotic collection)?
statement
SARS-CoV-2 first infected humans through a research-related pathway involving an unmodified, naturally-evolved virus: a wild virus was collected, sampled, or handled by researchers and reached humans through that activity (for example an infection acquired during field or laboratory work, or a leak of a natural isolate), without any laboratory modification of the virus itself.
cluster
HC-1
origin
step-4-constructed
source
—
locator
  • S-60: Rootclaim analysis — 'zoonotic collection' scenario
merged_from
additional_sources
generalization_note
Constructed clean 'research-related leak of an unmodified natural virus (zoonotic collection)' member. Absorbs H-3 (Rootclaim zoonotic-collection scenario). Shares a natural genome with the natural-zoonosis member (H-41) — the genome and natural-relative observations do not separate H-41 from H-42 — and shares research-proximity with the engineered member (H-43); the early-case geography and institutional-proximity observations are what discriminate it at step 5.

Constructed member — the ‘lab leak of a natural, unmodified virus’ answer. No paper states it free of a probability verdict, so it is minted here with H-3 (Rootclaim’s zoonotic-collection scenario) merged in; H-3 keeps its wording in hypotheses/merged/.

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added after the FLF submission deadline

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