New coronavirus discovered in Brazilian bats

Researchers have identified a new coronavirus in bats in Brazil, raising concerns about its potential risks to humans.

The virus shares genetic similarities with the deadly Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), but its ability to infect humans remains uncertain.

The study, published in the Journal of Medical Virologywas conducted by scientists from São Paulo and Ceará in collaboration with Hong Kong University. Researchers found that the virus’s genetic sequence is 72% similar to MERS-CoV, with its spike protein—used to attach to host cells—showing a 71.74% resemblance.

“Right now, we aren’t sure it can infect humans, but we detected parts of the virus’s spike protein suggesting potential interaction with the receptor used by MERS-CoV,” said Bruna Stefanie Silvério, first author of the study. Additional experiments in Hong Kong this year will assess the virus’s risks to human health.

Scientists examined 423 oral and rectal swabs from 16 bat species in Fortaleza, northeastern Brazil, identifying seven coronaviruses, including the newly discovered one. They also found signs of genetic recombination, a process that can alter a virus’s infectious potential.

“Bats are important viral reservoirs and should therefore be submitted to continuous epidemiological surveillance,” said Ricardo Durães-Carvalho, a professor at EPM-UNIFESP and senior author of the study. “This monitoring helps identify circulating viruses and risks of transmission to other animals, and even to humans.”

The findings highlight the importance of global virus surveillance to track emerging pathogens that could pose future public health threats.