Scientists have found six new coronaviruses in three different species of bats in Myanmar. These viruses are said to belong to the same family as SARS-CoV-2 that causes the COVID-19 but they are not genetically related to the existing outbreak.
The newfound coronaviruses are discovered in the Great Asiatic yellow house bat, wrinkled-lipped free-tailed bat, and Horsefield's leaf-nosed bat.
The scientists recommend to conduct further studies to know if these newfound coronaviruses can be transmitted to different species and to better understand its risks to the human health.
Six newfound coronaviruses
Viral pandemic reminds us how closely is the relationship between human health and the health of the wildlife and to the environment, said Smithsonian's Global Health Program former wildlife veterinarian and study lead author, Marc Valitutto.
Humans are interacting wildlife with increasing frequency worldwide so a potential disease outbreak is always possible. But the more we understand what allows the viruses to mutate and how they spread to other species, the better chance we have in reducing their pandemic potential.
Valitutto and his team gathered samples saliva and feces from 11 different bat species in Myanmar, a Southeast Asian country that borders Bangladesh and India. All in all, they have collected more than 75 samples from May 216 until August 2018.
They discovered six new coronaviruses after testing the samples. One was found in other parts of Southeast Asia but is unique in Myanmar.
LiveScience reported that these newfound coronaviruses are given names. The virus found in the Asiatic yellow house bat, they named it PREDICT-CoV-90, while the ones found in the wrinkled-lipped free-tailed bat are named PREDICT-CoV-47 and PREDICT-CoV-82. Moreover, coronaviruses found in the leaf-nosed bat were named PREDICT-CoV-92, -93 and -96.
The director of the Smithsonian's Global Health Program and co-author of the study, Suzan Murray, said that many coronaviruses may not pose risk to humans but identifying them first in animals will give us a valuable opportunity to investigate the potential threat.
To prevent pandemics to occur we need to use our best tools which are vigilant surveillance, research, and most importantly, education.
Read Also: Scientists Found an Isolated Coronavirus Mutation in India That Could Threaten Vaccine Development
Understanding coronaviruses in bats
In December 2019, COVID-19 first made headlines in China and ever since then it has already infected almost all the countries around the world. Presently, there are already more than 1.9 million confirmed and more than 119,000 deaths recorded.
However, the United States was hit the hardest as they were the first country that recorded more than 100,000 confirmed cases and has now reached more than 588,000 with over 23,000 deaths.
Various researches were conducted worldwide to further understand the coronavirus that is thought to be found in some animals such as bats. The most recent research was conducted by the Smithsonian's Global Health Program.
They hope that it will help experts to understand the diversity of coronaviruses in bats and also to give information to the global community on the ways to detect, prevent and respond to infectious diseases that could threaten public health. This is especially done in light of the ongoing pandemic.
