A recent study found that Brazilian bats harbor a diverse range of coronaviruses, including a new strain that closely resembles Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) virus, which causes a high case fatality rate. Scientists are taking the threat seriously and plan to conduct further tests in a secure lab to determine if the variant can infect humans.
The MERS-CoV virus has caused 858 known deaths, mostly in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, with a human case fatality rate of nearly 35%. In contrast, the COVID-19 pandemic’s SARS-CoV-2 virus has a significantly lower human case fatality rate of around 2%.
The Brazilian researchers identified seven distinct coronaviruses in bats, two of which share an evolutionary history with MERS-CoV. This discovery highlights that closely related viruses are circulating in South American bats and expanding their known geographic range.
Scientists have long warned that viruses found in bats pose a threat to human safety. The SARS outbreak in 2002, for example, was caused by a bat-borne virus that spread globally. The MERS-CoV virus was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012, after likely originating from bats to camels and then humans.
The discovery of a MERS-like strain in South America underscores the critical role bats play as reservoirs for emerging viruses. To further investigate, researchers plan to conduct experiments in Hong Kong during the current year.
While the new strain poses concerns, scientists can now closely monitor its threat. “Bats are important viral reservoirs and should therefore be submitted to continuous epidemiological surveillance,” argues co-author Ricardo Durães-Carvalho.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/close-relative-of-highly-fatal-coronavirus-discovered-in-brazils-bats