A new virus with similarities to Coronavirus has been identified in bats with the potential to jump to humans and livestock, according to new research.
Chinese and Australian scientists took samples from 149 bats across Yunnan province in China, bordering Laos and Myanmar, and identified five viruses “likely to be pathogenic to humans or livestock”.
One virus, known as BtSY2, is closely related to SARS-CoV-2 (which causes Covid-19) and is "at particular risk for emergence."
Professor Eddie Holmes, an evolutionary biologist and virologist at the University of Sydney and co-author of the report said: “This means that Sars-Cov-2-like viruses are still circulating in Chinese bats and continue to pose an emergence risk."
The paper said: "Our study highlights the common occurrence of inter-species transmission and co-infection of bat viruses, as well as their implications for virus emergence."
Of high concern is the fact that the researchers found a high frequency of multiple viruses infecting a single bat at one time.
This can lead to existing viruses swapping parts of their genetic code to form new pathogens, according to Professor Jonathan Ball, a virologist at the University of Nottingham.
“The main take-home message is that individual bats can harbour a plethora of different virus species, occasionally playing host to them at the same time,” said Professor Ball.
He continued: "Such co-infections, especially with related viruses like coronavirus, give the virus the opportunity to swap critical pieces of genetic information, naturally giving rise to new variants."
BtSY2 also has a key part of the spike protein used to latch onto cells human cells, similar to covid which suggests the virus can infect humans.
"BtSY2 may be able to utilise [the] human ACE2 receptor for cell entry," the paper added.
A number of pathogenic viruses have already been detected in Yunnan Province, including close relatives of SARS-CoV-2, such as bat viruses RaTG1313 and RpYN0614.
Evidence already suggests SARS-CoV-2 originated in bats, but it's also likely it may have passed to humans through pangolins, a scaly mammal.
The news comes as China imposed strict new Covid lockdowns as a record daily high in coronavirus cases hit the country.
The national health commission reported 31,444 new locally transmitted Covid cases on Wednesday, the highest daily figure since the coronavirus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late in 2019.
Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou all now face restricted movement and mass testing.
Guangzhou imposed a five-day lockdown in the Baiyun district on Monday and residents are now required to stay at home, plus all public transport has been halted.
Once areas do not report infections for three consecutive days they may be able to lift restrictions.
