A group of Chinese scientists have discovered a new bat coronavirus called HKU5-CoV-2 that may be able to spread from animals to people. This finding has sparked worries about potential spillovers in the future. The virus uses the same human receptor as the Covid-19-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The study highlights the need for additional research on the possible animal-to-human transmission of HKU5-CoV-2 and was lead by famous virologist Shi Zhengli, who is sometimes referred to as “batwoman” for her vast work on bat coronaviruses. Even if human infection is a possibility, more research is necessary to completely comprehend this component of the virus.
Researchers from Wuhan University, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the Guangzhou Laboratory, and the Guangzhou Academy of Sciences just published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Cell on Tuesday. The newly identified virus belongs to the merbecovirus subgenus, which also contains the Middle East respiratory sickness (MERS) virus, according to the study. A novel lineage of the HKU5 coronavirus, this virus is called HKU5-CoV-2. It was first identified in Japanese pipistrelle bats in Hong Kong.
Additionally, the study demonstrated that HKU5-CoV-2 can bind to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) receptor, which SARS-CoV-2 uses to infect human cells.
The researchers found that the bat virus HKU5-CoV-2, like SARS-CoV-2, had a furin cleavage site that makes it easier for cells to enter through the ACE2 receptor protein on the cell surface. In both test tubes and human intestine and respiratory model simulations, lab testing showed that HKU5-CoV-2 efficiently infected human cells with increased ACE2 levels.
However, the researchers pointed out that compared to SARS-CoV-2, the virus’s ability to bind to human ACE2 is “significantly lower.”
“We report the discovery and isolation of a distinct lineage (lineage 2) of HKU5-CoV, which can utilise not only bat ACE2 but also human ACE2 and various mammalian ACE2 orthologs,” the study stated.
Merbecoviruses have been added to the World Health Organization’s list of emerging pathogens for pandemic preparedness. A key player in the study of COVID-19, Shi Zhengli, has denied claims that the Wuhan Institute of Virology is connected to the outbreak. Covid-19’s origin is still unknown, although some study suggests it may have started in bats and spread to humans through a species intermediate.
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