The Brief
A newly identified coronavirus lineage has been discovered in bats in Hong Kong.
Named HKU5-CoV-2, the virus poses a potential risk of animal-to-human transmission and binds to human cells similarly to the virus responsible for COVID-19.
Researchers detailed their findings in a recently published study.
What is HKU5-CoV-2?
What We Know:
HKU5-CoV-2 is a coronavirus from the Merbecovirus group, which also includes the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) virus.
According to the South China Morning Post, this virus is a newly identified lineage of the HKU5 coronavirus, originally found in the Japanese pipistrelle bat in Hong Kong.
What We Don’t Know:
It remains unclear whether HKU5-CoV-2 poses a threat to humans or could cause disease.
Study Details on HKU5-CoV-2
Researchers published their findings in the scientific journal Cell.
The study was led by Shi Zhengli, a prominent virologist known as “Batwoman” for her extensive research on bat coronaviruses. She collaborated with scientists from the Guangzhou Academy of Sciences, Wuhan University, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Their research found that “authentic HKU5-CoV-2 infected human ACE2-expressing cell lines and human respiratory and enteric organoids. This study reveals a distinct lineage of HKU5-CoVs in bats that efficiently use human ACE2 and underscores their potential zoonotic risk.”
Why It Matters
HKU5-CoV-2 has the potential for animal-to-human transmission because it binds to the same human receptor as the virus that causes COVID-19.
