A newly identified coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, discovered in bats in China, has sparked alarm among scientists due to its potential to trigger a global pandemic.

American researchers warn that this virus, closely related to the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), is just one small mutation away from being able to infect humans and cause widespread outbreaks.

According to the Daily Mail, the discovery has heightened concerns, particularly because it was first documented by researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the same lab suspected by some as the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.

HKU5-CoV-2 belongs to the merbecovirus family, which includes MERS-CoV, a virus known for its high lethality, killing up to a third of those it infects.

Initially identified in 2005 in Japanese house bats (Pipistrellus abramus), the virus was recently found to interact with the human ACE2 receptor, the same protein exploited by SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19.

This ability to bind to ACE2 suggests that HKU5-CoV-2 could, with minimal changes, jump to humans, potentially through an intermediate host like mink or civets.

Researchers at Washington State University, led by virologist Professor Michael Letko, conducted lab experiments to study how HKU5-CoV-2 interacts with human cells.

Their findings, published in Nature Communications, revealed that the virus requires only a slight alteration in its spike protein to effectively latch onto human ACE2 receptors, found in the throat, mouth, and nose.

Letko noted, “HKU5 viruses in particular really hadn’t been looked at much, but our study shows how these viruses infect cells. What we also found is HKU5 viruses may be only a small step away from being able to spill over into humans.”

Earlier this year, scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, led by virologist Shi Zhengli, known as “Batwoman” for her extensive work on coronaviruses, reported that one strain of HKU5-CoV-2, Lineage 2, can already bind to human ACE2 receptors without further evolution.

This finding suggests that Lineage 2 poses an immediate risk, as it may not require additional mutations to infect humans.

The Washington State University team expanded on this, studying multiple HKU5 variants and confirming that several others are also close to achieving human infectivity.

The virus’s similarity to MERS, which has caused severe outbreaks primarily in the Middle East since 2012, amplifies concerns.

MERS is highly lethal, with a mortality rate far exceeding that of COVID-19, making the potential for HKU5-CoV-2 to evolve into a human pathogen particularly alarming.

The discovery’s connection to the Wuhan Institute of Virology has fueled speculation, given the ongoing debate about the origins of COVID-19.

The FBI and CIA have suggested that COVID-19 likely originated from a lab leak at the Wuhan facility, which has been studying dangerous coronaviruses for years.

While some scientists argue that COVID-19 likely emerged from a wet market, where animals like raccoon dogs or civets may have served as intermediate hosts, the lab-leak hypothesis remains a point of contention.

The fact that HKU5-CoV-2 was identified at the same facility adds a layer of controversy to the findings.

Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University Medical Center emphasized the need for vigilance, stating, “This new discovery reinforces the reality that there are many potential virus pandemic threats still in nature that could spill over into the human population.”

While he noted that there is no immediate evidence of human infections, he urged global preparedness to mitigate future risks.

Despite the concerning findings, some experts caution against panic.

Dr. Amira Roess, a professor of global health and epidemiology at George Mason University, pointed out that HKU5-CoV-2 does not infect human cells as efficiently as SARS-CoV-2 and stressed that the research is critical for understanding potential risks without causing undue alarm.

Similarly, Dr. Phoebe Lostroh, an associate professor of molecular biology at Colorado College, described headlines about an imminent pandemic as “overblown,” suggesting that other threats, like avian flu, may warrant more immediate concern.

Nonetheless, the unregulated wildlife trade in China, particularly in wet markets, remains a significant risk factor. Experts warn that these markets, where diverse animals are kept in close proximity, could facilitate the virus