New Bat Coronavirus Capable of Infecting Humans Discovered in China

 New Bat Coronavirus Capable of Infecting Humans Discovered in China

A newly discovered bat coronavirus, which could potentially infect humans, has been found in China. The virus, named HKU5-CoV-2, belongs to the merbecovirus subgenus, which also includes the virus responsible for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

A team of virologists led by Shi Zhengli, a renowned scientist known as "Batwoman" for her extensive research on coronaviruses, discovered the new virus. The team found that HKU5-CoV-2, similar to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic), can potentially invade human cells in the same way, by binding to ACE2 receptors.

What is HKU5-CoV-2?
HKU5-CoV-2 is a coronavirus within the merbecovirus subgenus, which also includes the MERS virus. The new virus was found to bind to human ACE2 receptors, much like SARS-CoV-2 and the NL63 virus, which causes the common cold. In laboratory tests, the virus was able to infect human cell cultures and mini-organ models, revealing its potential to infect humans.

The study notes that bat merbecoviruses, which are closely related to MERS-CoV, pose a high risk of spilling over to humans, either directly or through intermediate hosts. However, the exact likelihood of this virus causing human infection remains uncertain. The study also found that HKU5-CoV-2 may have a better adaptation to human ACE2 than other bat coronaviruses, increasing its potential zoonotic risk.

Could This Lead to Another Pandemic?
Despite concerns raised by the discovery, Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, stated that fears of another pandemic caused by this virus are exaggerated. He emphasized that the population has gained immunity to similar SARS viruses since 2019, which could lower the risk of a global outbreak. Additionally, the study itself suggests that the virus binds less effectively to human ACE2 receptors than SARS-CoV-2 and contains other factors that reduce its ability to adapt to humans, indicating that the risk of it emerging as a pandemic is minimal.

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