United States: Researched at Chinese facilities, scientists confirmed a new coronavirus strain in bat samples, which shows human cell infectivity, but doctors state this discovery doesn’t currently represent a diverse health threat, as reported by HealthDay.
Scientists Discover HKU5-CoV-2 in Bats
The journal Cell received information from scientists about their discovery of a virus named HKU5-CoV-2 in Pipistrellus bat anal swab samples.
SARS-CoV-2, along with COVID-19, uses the ACE2 receptor as its entry point into human cells.
No Evidence of Human Infection or Health Risk
Scientists have not found any evidence that the virus infects humans, whereas U.S. government health experts determined its ability to spread is different from COVID-19.
“There is no reason to believe it currently poses a concern to public health,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told CNN, adding that it “will continue to monitor viral disease activity and provide important updates to the public.”
Linked to MERS Family but Not a Cause for Alarm
Wuhan Institute of Virology researchers discovered the virus during their bat research. The virus belongs to the same family grouping as the virus responsible for MERS, which causes fatal Middle East respiratory syndrome.
Hon Kong University 5 Coronavirus (HKU5-CoV-2) passes through human cells, though it does not replicate as quickly as COVID virus cells.
The analysis by Dr. Amira Roess at George Mason University’s College of Public Health suggests there is no reason for concern.
“Even the researchers themselves point out that this should not cause panic,” she said.
Laboratory evaluations demonstrated that current antiviral medications which counter COVID effectively combat HKU5-CoV-2.
Effective Antiviral Treatments Available
Dr. Alex Greninger from the University of Washington Medical Center stated the research findings lacked surprise.
“There are probably a lot of coronaviruses circulating in bats that can enter human cells,” he added.
HKU5-CoV-2 shouldn’t take focus away from more urgent health risks, such as the bird flu that is currently affecting cats, cows, and birds, experts stressed.
“They’re here every winter, so frankly, we should be talking about those rather than HKU5,” Greninger said.
Focus Remains on More Pressing Health Concerns
The author of “Molecular and Cellular Biology of Viruses,” Phoebe Lostroh, an associate professor of molecular biology at Colorado College, concurred.
“We ought to be a lot more worried about problems like avian flu and its impact on cows and kitties and all sorts of other mammals than this new coronavirus that was isolated from a population of bats in China that reminds us of SARS-CoV-2 but is not really a breakthrough discovery,” she told CNN.
According to Roess, the study emphasizes the significance of global health surveillance even in the absence of an urgent threat, as reported by HealthDay.
Importance of Global Health Surveillance
“It’s sad to think about how we’re separating ourselves from the global public health world,” she said.
The study also reminds people to keep their distance from wildlife, particularly bats and birds.
“There are other things that bats carry that can be very problematic for people,” Roess said. “So respect these wild animals, don’t interact with them too much because you could end up hurting them and yourself.”