Latest news with #ShiZhengli
News18
4 days ago
- Health
- News18
Next Pandemic Soon? Bat Viruses In China Show Covid-Like Threat, Scientists Warn
Last Updated: Like SARS-CoV-2- the virus behind Covid-19- these bat viruses use spike proteins to invade host cells by attaching to the ACE2 receptor. A newly published study in Nature Communications raised alarm as it showed that a little-known group of bat viruses could be just a single mutation away from infecting humans. The research, conducted by teams from Washington State University, Caltech and the University of North Carolina, zeroes in on HKU5 viruses—a subgroup within the merbecoviruses, which are relatives of MERS-CoV, the deadly coronavirus that emerged in 2012 and carries a fatality rate of around 34%. 'HKU5 viruses haven't been studied much, but our research shows they have the machinery to infect cells. In fact, they might be only a single step away from being able to infect humans," Dr. Michael Letko, the study's lead author and a virologist at Washington State University, said. The Spike Protein Problem Like SARS-CoV-2- the virus behind Covid-19- these bat viruses use spike proteins to invade host cells by attaching to the ACE2 receptor. Currently, HKU5 viruses bind to ACE2 only in bats. But scientists warn that a tiny genetic change could allow them to jump to humans. Supporting this concern, some HKU5 variants have already been seen infecting minks in China- proof that they can jump between species. Adding to the urgency, researchers used AlphaFold 3, a cutting-edge AI tool, to model how these spike proteins could evolve. The software simulated potential mutations and interactions with human cells in minutes, accurately matching traditional lab results. Scientists' Warning For The Future The new findings align with earlier research led by China's renowned virologist Shi Zhengli- often dubbed the 'batwoman." Her team had found that HKU5-CoV-2, a variant in this group, was capable of infecting human cells in test tubes and lab models of the human respiratory and digestive systems. The researchers also identified potential monoclonal antibodies and antivirals that could target the virus if it crosses over. Dr. Letko stressed, 'There's no need to panic, but there is every reason to prepare." About the Author Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" First Published: June 06, 2025, 19:01 IST
Gulf Insider
01-03-2025
- Health
- Gulf Insider
"Bat Lady" Research Team In Wuhan 'Find' COVID-Like Virus That Can Infect Humans
Chinese researchers, led by a virologist whose work had fueled concerns about a possible COVID-19 lab leak, have discovered a new bat coronavirus that is similar to the one that causes COVID-19, and that is capable of infecting humans. The virus, called HKU5-CoV-2, can enter human cells through the ACE2 receptor, the same gateway for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that sparked a global pandemic five years ago, according to a study recently published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Cell. The lead researcher is Shi Zhengli, who, for years, led work on bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a lab that has been under scrutiny amid ongoing questions about the origins of COVID-19. The researchers collected nearly 1,000 anal swabs from pipistrellus bats across five Chinese provinces and took them to the state-owned Wuhan research institute. The virus belongs to a distinct lineage of coronaviruses that also include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus. Lab experiments indicate this virus strain may infect a wide range of mammals. The HKU5-CoV-2 has the potential to jump from one species to another, researchers said, noting the recent detection of viral sequences closely related to HKU5-CoV in farmed minks. The virus doesn't enter human cells as readily as the SARS-CoV-2 virus, suggesting the risk of its 'emergence in human populations should not be exaggerated,' the paper states. The researchers also identified antibodies and antiviral drugs that target the virus. Findings about the virus raised concerns from Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist and laboratory director at Rutgers University's Waksman Institute of Microbiology, who has been critical of the Wuhan Institute's virus experiments. 'In nature, this virus poses minimal threat to humans,' he told The Epoch Times on Feb. 25. 'However, [with] laboratory enhancement of transmissibility or pathogenicity, this virus could create a highly extremely threatening new bioweapons agent and pandemic pathogen.' China is currently experiencing a surge of human metapneumovirus cases while the regime continues to resist international probes of the origin of COVID-19. In January, the CIA became the third U.S. executive agency to back the theory that the SARS-CoV-2 virus might have come from a Chinese lab.
Russia Today
23-02-2025
- Health
- Russia Today
Chinese researchers find new bat-to-human coronavirus
A Chinese research team has discovered a new bat coronavirus which uses the same receptor as Covid-19 to infect humans. The study shows the need to monitor the pathogen to prevent it from spreading, Reuters reported on Saturday. The novel virus represents a distinct lineage of the HKU5 coronavirus, originally identified in the Japanese Pipistrelle bat in Hong Kong. The study, conducted at the Guangzhou Laboratory, was led by Shi Zhengli, often referred to as 'batwoman' because of her extensive work on bat coronaviruses. Zhengli is best known for her work at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which has been at the center of controversy regarding the origins of Covid-19. While one theory posits a lab leak in Wuhan, Shi has consistently denied that the institute was to blame for the outbreak. In December last year, the US Congressional Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic finished a 520-page report on the origin of the infection. The two-year investigation claimed that the Chinese government, along with some international experts and agencies 'sought to cover up facts concerning the origins of the pandemic.' Beijing has rejected the lab-leak theory. First detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, the coronavirus spread far beyond the country's borders, killing over seven million people worldwide.
Gulf Insider
22-02-2025
- Health
- Gulf Insider
China Reports New Coronavirus ‘With Pandemic Potential' Discovered
Another coronavirus feared to be powerful enough to spread through humans has been discovered in China. In scenes eerily reminiscent of the beginnings of Covid, researchers at the infamous Wuhan Institute of Virology detected the new strain living within bats. HKU5-CoV-2 is strikingly similar to the pandemic virus, sparking fears that history could repeat itself just two years after the worst was declared over. The new virus is even closer related to MERS, a deadlier type of coronavirus that kills up to a third of people it infects. Virologist Shi Zhengli, known as 'Batwoman' for her work on coronaviruses, led the discovery, published in a top scientific journal. The new HKU5-CoV-2 is a coronavirus belonging to the merbecovirus family of pathogens. Merbecoviruses have been detected in minks and pangolins – the animal believed to be the intermediary for Covid between bats and humans. This, the scientists wrote, 'suggests frequent cross-species transmission of these viruses between bats and other animal species.' They added: 'This study reveals a distinct lineage of HKU5-CoVs in bats that efficiently use human [cells] and underscores their potential zoonotic risk.' HKU5-CoV viruses were first detected in bats in 2006, but the new data suggests HKU5-CoV-2 has a 'higher potential for interspecies infection' than others. However, the potential for HKU5-CoV-2 to spill over to humans 'remains to be investigated.' The research was conducted by the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is at the center of the lab-leak theory, which claims Covid-19 was manufactured in a Chinese lab and accidentally leaked to the public. While stocks overall were dumped on the report. Drugmakers, like MRNA and PFE surged. Bonds are bid as safe-haven flows hit… The market is extremely anxious here but for now, this seems like the catalyst for this leg down – however farcical that may seem.
Daily Tribune
22-02-2025
- Health
- Daily Tribune
Could It Be Another Pandemic? China Scientists Identify New Bat Coronavirus with Human Transmission Risk
A new coronavirus, identified as HKU5-CoV-2, has been discovered in bats in China, sparking concerns about its potential to infect humans and possibly cause a pandemic. Researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a facility previously associated with the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, published their findings in the scientific journal Cell on February 21, 2025. The newly discovered virus is part of the merbecovirus family, which also includes MERS, a deadly coronavirus that has a higher fatality rate compared to Covid-19. HKU5-CoV-2 shares similarities with SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the global Covid-19 pandemic, and tests suggest it may be capable of infecting human cells in a similar manner. Virologist Shi Zhengli, also known as "Batwoman" for her extensive research on coronaviruses, led the study, which highlighted the potential for HKU5-CoV-2 to spill over into humans, either directly or through intermediary animal hosts. The researchers noted that bats, known to be natural reservoirs for coronaviruses, play a significant role in the transmission of these pathogens to other species, including humans. While the virus has been circulating among bats since at least 2006, the new strain appears to have an increased potential for cross-species infection. However, the exact risk of HKU5-CoV-2 infecting humans remains uncertain and will require further investigation. The Wuhan Institute's research is significant as it emphasizes the zoonotic risk of coronaviruses, reflecting similar concerns raised during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although the origins of Covid-19 remain a topic of debate, this new discovery has renewed discussions on the possibility of viruses spreading from animals to humans, a process known as zoonotic spillover. Despite the alarming potential for human infection, experts caution that it is too early to predict whether HKU5-CoV-2 will follow the same path as SARS-CoV-2 or MERS. Further studies are needed to understand its transmissibility and the risk it poses to global health. The discovery of HKU5-CoV-2 has reignited fears about the possibility of another pandemic, just two years after the world declared the end of the Covid-19 crisis. Global health authorities continue to monitor the situation, with ongoing research into the behavior of new coronaviruses and their potential to impact human populations.
