Mumbai, February 21: A team of Chinese researchers has identified a new bat coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, that shows potential for animal-to-human transmission. The virus, which uses the same human receptor as SARS-CoV-2 (the virus responsible for COVID-19), was discovered by a team led by Shi Zhengli, a virologist known as "batwoman" for her expertise in bat coronaviruses.

The findings of the new coronavirus HKU5-CoV-2 were published in the peer-reviewed journal "Cell", involving scientists from the Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Academy of Sciences, Wuhan University, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the South China Morning Post reported. ‘HMPV Outbreak’ in China: Indian Health Officials Say ‘No Need To Worry’ Amid ‘Rise’ in COVID-Like Human Metapneumovirus.

What is the New Coronavirus HKU5-CoV-2?

HKU5-CoV-2 belongs to the merbecovirus subgenus, which includes the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus. It is a new lineage of the HKU5 coronavirus, initially found in Japanese pipistrelle bats in Hong Kong. The virus can bind to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) receptor, which is also used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect human cells.

However, while HKU5-CoV-2 can also bind to ACE2 receptors in various mammalian species, its ability to bind to human ACE2 is considered significantly lower than that of SARS-CoV-2. WHO Still Waiting on COVID Origins Data from China.

HKU5-CoV-2: Potential for Spread and Caution

Researchers caution that bat merbecoviruses like HKU5-CoV-2 pose a high risk of spillover to humans, either through direct transmission or via intermediate hosts.

While the virus has shown the ability to bind to human ACE2 receptors, the study notes that the risk of HKU5-CoV-2 emerging in human populations should not be overstated, emphasizing that the virus’s human-to-human transmission potential is still unclear.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 21, 2025 07:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).