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Chinese researchers have discovered a new bat coronavirus that poses a potential risk of animal-to-human transmission. The virus uses the same cell-surface protein as SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, to enter human cells, raising concerns about its potential to infect humans.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), this study was led by famed virologist Shi Zhengli also known as the “Batwoman” due to her extensive research on bat coronaviruses at the Guangzhou Laboratory along with researchers from the Guangzhou Academy of Sciences, Wuhan University and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
The newly discovered bat coronavirus belongs to a new lineage of the HKU5 coronavirus, which was first identified in the Japanese pipistrelle bat in Hong Kong.
The bat virus HKU5-CoV-2 contains a feature known as the furin cleavage site that helps it to enter cells via the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor protein on cell surfaces. Chinese researchers found that while the newly discovered bat coronavirus uses the same cell-surface protein as SARS-CoV-2 to enter human cells, it does not do so as efficiently, noting some of its limitations, reported Reuters.
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The newly discovered virus belongs to the Merbecovirus subgenus, which also includes the virus responsible for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). It has the ability to bind to the human ACE2 receptor—the same entry point used by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, SCMP reported.
As per the report, in lab experiments, HKU5-CoV-2 infected human cells with high ACE2 levels in test tubes and in models of human intestines and airways. In further experiments, the researchers identified monoclonal antibodies and antiviral drugs that target the bat virus.
Concerns Over Another Pandemic
As per Reuters, Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, said the reactions were “overblown” regarding concerns about the potential for another pandemic arising from this newly discovered virus. He noted that, compared to 2019, there is now widespread immunity in the population to similar SARS-related viruses, which may reduce the overall risk.
The study itself also emphasised that the virus has a significantly lower binding affinity to human ACE2 than SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, other factors that are not optimal for human adaptation suggest that the risk of this virus emerging in human populations should not be overstated.
