Published February 21,2025
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A Chinese group found a brand new bat coronavirus that poses a danger of animal-to-human transmission because it makes use of the identical human receptor because the COVID-19 virus, a Hong Kong each day reported on Thursday, citing the newest research.
The research, carried out by the Guangzhou Laboratory in collaboration with the Guangzhou Academy of Sciences, Wuhan University, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, was printed within the scientific journal Cell on Tuesday, the South China Morning Post reported.
According to reviews, the newly found coronavirus makes use of the identical human receptor because the virus accountable for COVID-19 and SARS, human angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2).
The virus, also called HKU5-CoV-2, is a novel lineage of the HKU5 coronavirus found in Japanese pipistrelle bats in Hong Kong.
Lab exams revealed that the virus can infect human cells and artificially-grown lung and gut tissues. It also can bind to ACE2 receptors in people, bats, and different animals, rising the chance of cross-species transmission.
Even although HKU5-CoV-2 has a stronger binding capability than its unique pressure with a wider vary of hosts, the researchers emphasised that it’s far much less potent than SARS-CoV-2, the virus accountable for COVID-19, and the chance of widespread human transmission is low.
Shi Zhengli, the research’s lead scientist, is well-known for her work on the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which has come below hearth attributable to claims that COVID-19 originated from a lab leak, which Shi has denied.
China beforehand rejected the “CIA-backed theory” that the COVID-19 pandemic originated from an unintended lab leak in Wuhan moderately than pure transmission in a moist market, the each day reported
The first instances of the COVID-19 virus have been reported in Wuhan, central China, in December 2019. It subsequently unfold worldwide, resulting in nationwide lockdowns and inflicting almost seven million deaths.
Source: www.anews.com.tr