Another pandemic scare? New bat coronavirus discovered in China with a potential to infect humans

A team of Chinese researchers has identified a novel bat coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, which has the ability to potentially transmit from animals to humans. This discovery has raised concerns about the possibility of future spillover events. The virus utilises the same human receptor as SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19. 

The study, led by renowned virologist Shi Zhengli, also known as "batwoman" for her extensive work on bat coronaviruses, underscores the need for further research on the potential animal-to-human transmission of HKU5-CoV-2. Despite the possible risks of human infection, additional investigations are required to fully understand this aspect of the virus.

A team of researchers, including scientists from the Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Academy of Sciences, Wuhan University, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, recently published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Cell on Tuesday. The study revealed that the newly discovered virus is part of the merbecovirus subgenus, which also includes the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) virus. This virus, known as HKU5-CoV-2, is a new lineage of the HKU5 coronavirus, which was initially detected in Japanese pipistrelle bats in Hong Kong. 

The research also revealed that HKU5-CoV-2 has the ability to attach to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) receptor, the same receptor used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect human cells.

The researchers reported that similar to SARS-CoV-2, the bat virus HKU5-CoV-2 possesses a furin cleavage site that facilitates cell entry through the ACE2 receptor protein located on the surface of cells. Lab tests demonstrated that HKU5-CoV-2 effectively infected human cells with elevated ACE2 levels in both test tubes and simulated human intestinal and respiratory models.

However, the researchers noted that the virus’s efficiency in binding to human ACE2 is “significantly lower” than that of SARS-CoV-2.

"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 research said. 

The World Health Organization has added merbecoviruses to its list of emerging pathogens for pandemic readiness. Shi Zhengli, a crucial figure in Covid-19 research, has refuted allegations linking the Wuhan Institute of Virology to the pandemic. The source of Covid-19 is still under scrutiny, with some research indicating it may have originated in bats and transmitted to humans via an intermediary species.