A research study conducted by Chinese scientists has identified pangolins, an endangered scaly mammal species, as a possible intermediate host of Coronavirus that has recently gripped China.

South China Agricultural University, which led the study, said that the new virus could have spread from bats to human but the world’s only scaly mammal possibly facilitated the spread of novel coronavirus to humans.

“The genome sequence of the novel coronavirus strain separated from pangolins was 99 percent identical to that from infected people, indicating pangolins may be an intermediate host of the virus,” said China’s official news agency

“This latest discovery will be of great significance for the prevention and control of the origin,” said the university.

Liu Yahong, president of the university, the study will provide help in preventing and controlling the disease.

Latest data show that the death toll in an outbreak of the virus has climbed to 638, and more than 31161 people have been infected.

Around 3,143 cases of coronavirus infection have been detected in China during the last 24 hours.

According to the World Wildlife Funds, the pangolin is a protected species under the international law. Its meat is taken as delicacy in some countries including China while its scale are used in medicine.