New Bat Coronavirus discovered by Chinese Scientists

A team of Chinese researchers, led by renowned virologist Shi Zhengli, has identified a new bat coronavirus, named HKU5-CoV-2, which could potentially transmit from animals to humans. The discovery has sparked fresh concerns about the risk of future spillover events.

Belonging to the merbecovirus subgenus—home to the Mers virus—HKU5-CoV-2 has been found to bind to the ACE2 receptor in human cells, the same pathway utilized by the Covid-19 virus, as reported by Reuters.

According to the study published in the journal Cell, laboratory tests revealed that HKU5-CoV-2 can infect human cells. The virus also demonstrated the ability to bind to ACE2 receptors in several mammal species, suggesting that multiple intermediate hosts could potentially aid its transmission to humans.

Despite these findings, the researchers emphasized that HKU5-CoV-2’s capacity to infect human cells is much lower than that of Covid-19. They cautioned against overstating the immediate threat, noting that while close monitoring is necessary, the likelihood of a global pandemic remains speculative at this point.