Wild Brazilian Bats Tested Positive For New COVID-19 Strain, Global Health Risk Alert

A study, which is now published on the Preprint, revealed that the virus found in Brazilian bats belongs to the betacoronavirus family, which includes SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and the original SARS virus.

Brazilian bats are under scrutiny as scientists identified a new coronavirus that carried a key genetic feature found in SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

According to reports, the virus called BRZ batCoV has long been spreading without being detected. However, sampling in Latin America identified the virus in Pteronotus Parnellii, a small insect-eating 'moustached' species of bat, which is common across the region.

New COVID-19 Virus Belongs To The Betacoronavirus Family

A study, which is now published on the Preprint, revealed that the virus belongs to the betacoronavirus family, which includes SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and the original SARS virus.

The findings further revealed that the genetic sequencing revealed a short stretch of the virus's spike protein, which can be cut by enzymes in human cells and animals. Scientists claim that this feature paves the way for some coronaviruses to enter through those cells. Although such furin cleavage has not been previously reported in bat coronaviruses, findings suggest that it could have evolved independently in the South American bat population.

The research was led by Dr. Kosuke Takada and Dr. Tokiko Watanabe at the Department of Molecular Virology at the University of Osaka, in Japan. Talking about the study, the lead author, Dr. Takada, told the media, "This study highlights that the potential for new pathogens to emerge is globally distributed, including in under-sampled regions like South America."

"Still, detection does not equal danger the real risk depends on ecological and human factors such as how often people come into contact with infected wildlife. By expanding our understanding of viral diversity in these regions, we can improve early warning systems and make more evidence-based assessments of which viruses warrant closer attention," he added.

Scientists Claim Furin Cleavage Is Frequently Sighted Post-Pandemic

A scientist who was not involved in the study highlights that this is not the first time a furin cleavage has been sighted since the pandemic. Prof Stuart Neil, head of the department of infectious diseases at King's College London, told the media, "We have very little idea about the selective pressures that promote the evolution of furin cleavage sites in bats or after cross-species transmission. But what this paper reinforces is that they are not uncommon."

He added, "While it doesn't speak directly to how [Sars-Cov-2] got its furin cleavage site, it does show how easily they can pop up in the same part of a spike [protein] in very diverse viruses in the family."

Follow TheHealthSite.com for all the latest health news and developments from around the world.