CHINA (WTVO) –New genetic data has linked the origin of COVID-19 to raccoon dogs being sold at a market in Wuhan, China.

The New York Times reported that researchers swabbed areas of the market in January 2020, right after authorities shut it down. They discovered large amounts of genetic material that matched the racoon dog in places where COVID-19 was also found.

Raccoon dogs are related to foxes and can transmit the “coronavirus.”

The evidence adds to the theory that the virus spread from a wild animal to humans.