New Bat Coronavirus May Pose Threat to Humans

 

A team of Chinese virologists has identified a new bat coronavirus that has the potential for animal-to-human transmission, as it utilizes the same receptor as the virus responsible for Covid-19, according to media reports.

The research was led by Shi Zhengli, a virologist from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), which has been at the center of controversy regarding the origins of COVID-19.

Shi, often referred to as "Bat Woman" due to her extensive studies on bat viruses, along with the Chinese government, has denied claims that COVID-19 originated from a leak at the Wuhan laboratory.

This newly discovered virus belongs to a lineage of the HKU5 coronavirus, first identified in the Japanese pipistrelle bat in Hong Kong. It is part of the merbecovirus subgenus, which also includes the virus responsible for Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), according to a report from the South China Morning Post.

Scientists found that this bat coronavirus can bind to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the same receptor used by SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes Covid-19—to enter human cells.

"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 [- genes found in different species with a common origin]," wrote the research team, led by Shi, in a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell on Tuesday, as cited by the Post.

The study revealed that when the virus was extracted from bat samples, it was capable of infecting human cells and artificially cultured tissues resembling miniature respiratory and intestinal organs.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, China reiterated that its Wuhan bio-laboratory, which has been accused of leaking the virus responsible for the global pandemic, has never conducted "gain-of-function" research on coronaviruses, despite allegations that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funded such studies.

"China has also made it clear more than once that the Wuhan Institute of Virology has never engaged in gain-of-function studies of coronavirus," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a press briefing while addressing claims that USAID funding had supported such research at the Wuhan lab.

Gain-of-function research involves modifying an organism’s genes to enhance certain biological traits, potentially increasing its transmissibility or pathogenicity.

"Never has it designed, made or leaked COVID-19. On the origins-tracing of the virus, China firmly opposes all forms of political manipulation," Guo added.

Recent reports from U.S. media have suggested that USAID provided funding for gain-of-function studies at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, potentially linking the lab to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in millions of deaths worldwide.

President Trump has since halted USAID programs that did not align with U.S. strategic interests and were considered a waste of taxpayer money.

During Trump's presidency, the Wuhan laboratory faced intense scrutiny.

At a press conference on February 12, Guo reiterated, "It is 'extremely unlikely' that the COVID-19 pandemic was caused by a lab leak—this is the authoritative conclusion reached by the experts of the WHO-China joint mission based on science following their field trips to the lab in Wuhan and in-depth communication with researchers."