Chinese researchers have identified a new bat coronavirus similar to the virus responsible for COVID-19, raising fresh concerns about potential cross-species transmission.
The virus, named HKU5-CoV-2, was found to infect human cells through the ACE2 receptor, the same entry point used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that triggered the global pandemic five years ago, according to a study published in the scientific journal Cell.
The research was led by Shi Zhengli, a virologist from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, whose past work on bat coronaviruses has been under scrutiny amid ongoing debates about the origins of COVID-19. The team collected nearly 1,000 anal swabs from pipistrellus bats across five Chinese provinces and transported the samples to the Wuhan-based research institute for further analysis.
The newly discovered virus belongs to a lineage of coronaviruses that includes the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus. Lab experiments suggest that HKU5-CoV-2 could potentially infect a wide range of mammals, including minks, which recently showed viral sequences closely related to the new strain.
However, researchers noted that the virus does not infect human cells as efficiently as SARS-CoV-2, downplaying the immediate threat of human transmission. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) echoed this view, stating that there is currently no evidence of human infections linked to HKU5-CoV-2.
Despite these reassurances, the discovery has raised alarms among some experts. Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist at Rutgers University, warned that laboratory enhancement of the virus could create a dangerous bioweapons agent or pandemic pathogen. His concerns come amid international scrutiny of virus experiments conducted at the Wuhan Institute, particularly those funded by U.S.-based nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance, which faced a federal funding ban in January over its controversial research practices.
Shi, who joined the Guangzhou National Laboratory in 2024, continues her work on emerging infectious diseases, cross-species viral transmission, and molecular epidemiology. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has denied that the Wuhan Institute engaged in gain-of-function studies — experiments that enhance a virus’s transmissibility or pathogenicity.
The CDC said it would continue to monitor viral activity and issue updates as necessary.
Input from Agency
27th Feb 2025
Comments