Here it comes again! New coronavirus strain found in Brazilian bats, close to MERS-CoV
The website sciencealert reports that scientists from Brazil and China have discovered a new strain of coronavirus in Brazilian bats. That is closely related to the virus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Which has a mortality rate of up to 35% in humans.
The study collected more than 400 samples from 16 species of bats and found seven different coronaviruses in just two species of bats: Molossus molossus and Artibeus lituratus. One of the viruses found was evolutionarily related to MERS-CoV. Which had previously been found only in bats from Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
The findings suggest that viruses similar to MERS-CoV are circulating in South American bats, expanding the geographic range of this group of viruses. The researchers plan to conduct further experiments in a high-security laboratory in Hong Kong to assess the risk that this new virus could spread to humans.
The findings underscore the important role of bats. As vectors for viruses that could cause new เล่นเกมคาสิโน UFABET ทันสมัย ฝากถอนง่าย human diseases. Since the SARS outbreak in 2002 and MERS in 2012, bats have been identified as natural reservoirs for coronaviruses that can infect humans. Therefore, continued surveillance and study of bats is essential to prevent future outbreaks.