China Unveils Alarming Bat Coronavirus That Might Infect Humans Just Like COVID-19

China Unveils Alarming Bat Coronavirus That Might Infect Humans Just Like COVID-19

A research team in China has uncovered a new bat coronavirus that poses a potential risk of animal-to-human transmission, as it uses the same human receptor as the virus responsible for COVID-19…….READ MORE 

The study, led by renowned virologist Shi Zhengli, known as the “batwoman” for her extensive work on bat coronaviruses, was conducted at the Guangzhou Laboratory. The research also involved scientists from Wuhan University and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Shi, who is closely associated with the Wuhan Institute, has been central to discussions surrounding the origins of COVID-19, with some theories suggesting a potential lab leak. However, no definitive conclusion has been reached about the virus’s origins, though some studies point to bats as the source, possibly transmitting the virus to humans through an intermediate animal host. Shi has denied any lab involvement in the outbreak.

The latest discovery identifies a new lineage of the HKU5 coronavirus, originally found in the Japanese pipistrelle bat in Hong Kong. This new virus belongs to the merbecovirus subgenus, which also includes the virus responsible for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

The virus can bind to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) receptor, the same receptor that SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19, uses to infect human cells.

In their paper, published in the journal Cell, the researchers stated, “We report the discovery and isolation of a distinct lineage (lineage 2) of HKU5-CoV, which can utilize not only bat ACE2 but also human ACE2 and various mammalian ACE2 orthologs.”

The findings show that the virus can infect human cells, as well as artificial tissue models simulating miniature respiratory or intestinal organs. The research highlights the potential risk of these bat coronaviruses spilling over to humans through direct transmission or via intermediate hosts.

Merbecoviruses, which include the MERS virus and other coronaviruses found in bats and hedgehogs, were added to the World Health Organization’s list of emerging pathogens last year due to their pandemic potential.

While a recent study from the University of Washington and Wuhan University found that the HKU5 strain could bind to bat and mammalian ACE2 receptors, they did not observe “efficient” binding to human receptors.