A crew of Chinese researchers has discovered a new pitcher coronavirus with the potential for animal-to-human tranny, raising questions about possible future spillover events. The disease, named HKU5-CoV-2, was found to use the same man receptor as SARS-CoV-2, the disease responsible for Covid-19.
According to the South China Morning Post, the review was led by Shi Zhengli, a famous pathologist known as “batwoman” according to her extensive studies on pitcher coronaviruses.
The study involved researchers from the Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou Academy of Sciences, Wuhan University, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology. On Tuesday, their observations were published in the peer-reviewed blog Cell.
The recently discovered virus is a member of the Middle East respiratory syndrome ( MERS ) virus family. It is a new heritage of the HKU5 coronavirus, first identified in Chinese pipistrelle owls in Hong Kong.
The research found that HKU5-CoV-2 can bind to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2 ) receptor, the same receptor used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect 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”, the scientists wrote.
Potential spillover risk
The research noted that pitcher merbecoviruses “pose a higher risk of spillover to people, either through direct transfer or by intermediate hosts.”
According to the experts, HKU5-CoV-2 can connect to ACE2 receptor in many animal species, increasing the likelihood of interspecies distribution.
The scientists warned against exaggerating the danger despite the possibility of human disease. They noted that the disease’s performance in bound to mortal ACE2 is” considerably lower” than that of SARS-CoV-2. ” The threat of]HKU5-CoV-2] development in human populations should not be overblown”, they said.
Earlier this month, Cell published a study by researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle and Wuhan University, which concluded that while the HKU5 strain may attach to bird and other mammal ACE2 receptor, it did not show “efficient” bound to mortal ACE2.
However, Shi’s team countered that HKU5-CoV-2 appears to be better adapted to human receptors than its predecessor, lineage 1, and “may have a broader host range and a higher potential for interspecies infection”, South China Morning Post reported.
Monitoring and pandemic preparedness
Given the potential risks, the researchers focused on the need for further monitoring. Merbecoviruses have already been listed as emerging pathogens for pandemic preparedness by the World Health Organization.
Shi Zhengli, who played a key role in Covid-19 research, has previously denied claims that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was responsible for the pandemic.
Covid-19’s origins are still up for debate, but some studies suggest it was carried by bats before reaching humans via an intermediary host.
