An individual bat can carry the virus to humans. Photo: Nature
Experiments have shown that HKU5-CoV-2 can infect human cells as well as artificial tissues (simulating the respiratory and digestive systems). This raises concerns about the risk of transmission from bats to humans, either through direct transmission or through an intermediate host. In particular, the ability to associate with many other animal species increases the risk of widespread spread.
However, scientists stress that the risk of an outbreak from this virus remains low. Although the HKU5-CoV-2 virus is more adapted to the human ACE2 receptor than the previous variant, its infectious efficiency is still much lower than that of SARS-CoV-2.
The study also found that the Merbecovirus group currently includes four distinct viruses: MERS, two found in bats, and one found in hedgehogs. Of these, HKU5-CoV-2 is considered to have the ability to infect multiple species, but its ability to interact effectively with human cells remains limited.
Shi Zhengli, a renowned scientist at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, has faced controversy over the origins of Covid-19. Some theories suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may have originated from a leak at a Wuhan laboratory, but Shi has dismissed the claim. While there is no consensus on the origin of Covid-19, many studies suggest that the virus may have originated in bats and spread to humans through an intermediate host.