New Coronavirus Discovered Transmitted from British Bat to Human

Investigation of Viruses in 16 Species of British Bats
Viruses with Potential for Human Infection Identified

A new coronavirus with the potential to infect humans has been discovered in bats living in the United Kingdom.

"Two new coronaviruses discovered... Potential for human infection exists, but probability remains low"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the international academic journal Nature Communications on the 28th, a research team led by Professor Vincent Savolainen from the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College London announced that they discovered a new coronavirus in bats living in the UK that could infect humans. Although the immediate risk of it causing a pandemic by infecting humans is low, continuous monitoring is necessary as mutations could lead to new infectious diseases.

The research team found viruses with a high potential to infect humans in 16 out of 17 bat species living in the UK. They collected 48 bat fecal samples to investigate the types and genetic characteristics of the viruses. As a result, nine types of coronaviruses were identified.

Phylogenetic analysis of the coronaviruses found in UK bats revealed that two of these were previously undiscovered new species. Among them, one was related to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which caused an outbreak in 2015, and the other belonged to the Sarbecovirus group that causes COVID-19.

The researchers tested whether these viruses could infect humans by producing the spike proteins that coronaviruses use to penetrate cells of other animals and checking if they could bind to human cells.

Experimental results showed that the spike protein of the Sarbecovirus could bind to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) present on the surface of human cells, indicating a potential for human infection. However, the binding efficiency was still low, suggesting a low probability of immediate transmission leading to an infectious disease.

"Low likelihood of immediate pandemic... but ecosystem conservation needed for prevention"

Professor Savolainen stated, "(The spike protein of the Sarbecovirus) binds only when there is a very high amount of ACE2 protein, so the newly discovered virus is unlikely to infect humans and cause disease immediately," but he also pointed out, "If it uses other animals as intermediate hosts like COVID-19, there is concern about a potential infectious disease outbreak."

The research team emphasized that to prevent unknown infectious diseases like COVID-19, efforts are needed to preserve wildlife habitats to minimize contact with humans and to conduct regular virus testing.

Lisa Willidge, Conservation Manager at the UK bat conservation charity Bat Conservation Trust, said, "Protecting wildlife plays an important role not only in preventing infectious diseases but also in maintaining ecosystem diversity," adding, "This research is a good example of how collaboration between conservationists and scientists can contribute to public health."

Meanwhile, many infectious diseases that have caused significant human casualties throughout history are zoonotic diseases that originated in animals and spread to humans. During the agricultural era, diseases such as measles, tuberculosis, and smallpox spread as people raised livestock for farming and meat. The Black Death, considered the worst infectious disease in human history, is also known to have originated from rats living in cities.

Zoonotic diseases are expected to continue increasing in the future. Experts point to environmental pollution as the main cause, which increases contact between wildlife and humans. This is why Professor Savolainen and others advocate for protecting natural ecosystems by preserving wildlife habitats.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.