New Covid-Like Virus Discovered in Brazilian Bats

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

A new bat-borne virus detected in Brazil has caught the attention of global scientists for its striking similarity to Covid-19, reviving concerns over potential future pandemics.

An international team of researchers from Japan, the US, Australia, and Belgium identified the virus, named BRZ batCoV, in Pteronotus parnellii, a species of moustached bat known for its insect-eating habits. The study revealed that this virus is genetically different from all known coronaviruses, making it a candidate for a new subgenus within the Betacoronavirus family.

What has particularly drawn scientific interest is the discovery of a functional furin cleavage site in the virus’s spike protein — a feature shared with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that caused the global Covid-19 pandemic. This protein structure influences how viruses attach to and invade host cells, potentially affecting their ability to spread across species.

Experts say the BRZ batCoV’s furin site is almost identical to that of Covid-19, differing by only one amino acid. Though small, this change could mean major differences in infectivity and adaptation.

Interestingly, early genetic analysis shows that BRZ batCoV is more closely related to MERS-CoV — the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus — than to SARS-CoV-2. MERS, while less contagious, has a far higher fatality rate, killing about one in three people infected.

Currently, there is no evidence that the new bat virus can infect humans, and researchers emphasize that their discovery should not cause panic. Instead, it highlights the importance of continued surveillance of wildlife diseases to prevent future zoonotic outbreaks.

As the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, findings like these serve as a crucial reminder: the next global health threat could already be hiding in nature — waiting to be discovered.