New Bat Virus Discovered in China with Potential to Infect Humans Similar to Corona
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Science
February 22, 2025 08:03
wuhan, china - Chinese researchers find a new bat virus capable of cross-species transmission to humans, posing similar risks as COVID-19.
Research Led by Batwoman Virologist Shi Zhengli
A Chinese research team has discovered a new bat virus with the potential to jump from animals to humans. Led by Shi Zhengli, a renowned virologist known as the Batwoman for her extensive research on bat viruses, the study took place at the Guangzhou Laboratory with researchers from the Guangzhou Academy of Sciences, Wuhan University, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Shi is well-known for her work at the Wuhan Institute, which has been at the center of controversy over the origin of COVID-19. One theory suggests the virus may have leaked from this lab. While the virus's origin remains uncertain, some studies indicate it likely originated in bats and jumped to humans through an intermediary host.
The new virus belongs to the HKU5 coronavirus lineage, first identified in the Japanese pipistrelle bat in Hong Kong. It is part of the merbecovirus subgroup, which includes the virus responsible for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
An important characteristic of this new virus is its ability to bind to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2), the same receptor used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, causing COVID-19, to infect cells.