Sat Feb 22 12:56:46 UTC 2025: ## New Bat Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential Discovered in China
**Beijing/Hong Kong –** A team of Chinese virologists, led by Shi Zhengli of the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), has identified a new bat coronavirus with the potential for human infection. The virus, a novel lineage of HKU5 coronavirus, utilizes the same human receptor (ACE2) as SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings, published in the journal *Cell*, have raised concerns about the potential for future outbreaks.
The research reveals that the virus, belonging to the merbecovirus subgenus (which also includes the Mers virus), can infect human cells and cultured human tissues mimicking respiratory and intestinal organs. This ability to bind to human ACE2 receptors signifies a significant risk of zoonotic transmission – the spread of disease from animals to humans.
The discovery comes amidst ongoing debate surrounding the origins of COVID-19 and allegations of gain-of-function research at the WIV. While both Shi Zhengli and the Chinese government deny any involvement in the creation or leakage of SARS-CoV-2, recent reports in American media allege that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) funded gain-of-function research at the WIV. Chinese officials have vehemently refuted these claims, reiterating that the WIV has never conducted such research and that the WHO-China joint mission concluded a lab leak was “extremely unlikely.” Despite these denials, the new discovery underscores the ongoing threat of novel coronaviruses emerging from bat populations and the importance of continued research and surveillance.
First Piper 