Experts warn: New Chinese virus is 'one step away' from triggering a global pandemic

 worrying alert about a new strain of coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2.

Scientists have issued a worrying alert about a new strain of coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2. It could be just one mutation away from becoming transmissible to humans and triggering a new global pandemic.

The virus is not currently infectious to humans, but research by a team at Washington State University suggests that it is very close to crossing that threshold.

Professor Michael Letko, virologist and co-director of the study, says: "HKU5 viruses could be one small step away from jumping to humans."

The virus is genetically related to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and the specific strain HKU5 studied was collected from bats in China.

Letko adds: "These viruses are very similar to MERS, so we have to worry if they ever manage to infect humans. Even if there is no evidence of people passing through the country for the moment, the risk is there — and that's what makes them worrying."

Newly identified viruses in animals, such as HKU5-CoV-2, are a reminder that we must remain alert and keep people informed about potential disease threats without suggesting every new virus could lead to a new human pandemic.

- Professor David Heymann of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Recent outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and COVID-19 are all thought to have originated from the spillover of animal viruses to humans. Bats are considered natural reservoirs of all three coronaviruses, as well as potentially others that haven’t yet been identified.

Bat coronavirus

To investigate the potential risk to humans posed by such viruses, Dr Jing Chen at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China and colleagues sequenced genetic material collected more than ten years ago from Pipistrellus bats in China to identify any viruses carried by these animals.

They discovered a new coronavirus – which they’ve named HKU5-CoV-2 – that’s related to both the virus that causes MERS, and another coronavirus called HKU5-CoV-1 that was first detected in Asian bats in 2006.

Further experiments revealed that HKU5-CoV-2 can infect and replicate inside human cells from both the gut and airways. It also uses the same ACE2 receptor that SARS-CoV-2 uses to gain entry to cells.

Drug candidates

However, they cautioned against exaggerating the risks posed by this virus, as it does not enter human cells as readily as SARS-CoV-2 does. They have also identified several monoclonal antibodies and antiviral drugs that target HKU5-CoV-2, highlighting their potential as therapeutic candidates against these kinds of viruses.

 possible to predict 

“It is not possible to predict when and where any new virus or mutation of an existing virus will appear, or how harmful it could be to humans, so it’s very important to have strong detection and surveillance systems in place. For example, in the UK this includes surveillance of influenza-like illnesses routinely done by GP practices.

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“It is also essential that we have secure laboratories with strong and well-controlled bio security measures in place and education about the risks from live animal markets and pet shops that sell exotic pets.”