Amid the coronavirus outbreak that has forced the world to a halt, scientists reported that they've discovered six new coronaviruses in bats found in Myanmar. The new viruses are said to be in the same family as the SARS-CoV2, which caused COVID-19. However, the new viruses are not closely related to the COVID-19 genetically.
The six new viruses were found in three different bat species, the wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat, the Great Asiatic yellow house bat, and the Horsefield's leaf-nosed bat. The team of researchers notes that additional studies are still being done in order to know if the newly discovered coronaviruses have the ability to transmit across species so they can better understand the risks of the new viruses to human health.
Six new coronavirus discovered
In December 2019, the news about COVID-19 started in Wuhan, China, and allegedly it was caused by bat consumption, which is a delicacy in the province. Since then, the virus has spread far and wide, crippling almost every country in the world.
As of April 14, there are almost 2 million people who are infected with COVID-19 and more than 100,000 people have died. The leading country with the most cases is the United States, with more than 500,000 confirmed cases and more than 20,000 deaths.
The research was done by the Smithsonian's Global Health Program. The program aims to help experts understand the extent of the virus and its diversity, and how it can affect humans if transmitted. In this way, future outbreaks can be detected and prevented.
A former wildlife veterinarian that works with the Smithsonian's Global Health Program and the lead author of the study about the six new coronaviruses, Marc Valitutto, stated that viral pandemics remind the people that human health and the health of wildlife and the environment are connected. Humans are interacting with wildlife worldwide, and the more that humans understand about these viruses found in animals, the better that humans can reduce the pandemic potential of the viruses.
How the six new coronaviruses were discovered
The team of researchers gathered fecal samples and saliva from 11 different species of bats in Myanmar. Altogether, the researchers gathered more than 750 samples from May 2016 through August 2018. All the samples were then tested and compared to other known coronaviruses, there were six that were considered new. In fact, one coronavirus was found in other countries in Southeast Asia, but it was never before seen in Myanmar.
The researchers gave the six new coronaviruses names, and they are:
- PREDICT-CoV-90 (found in the Asiatic yellow house bat)
- PREDICT-CoV-47 and PREDICT-CoV-82 (found in the wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat)
- PREDICT-CoV-92, -93 and -96, which were found in the leaf-nosed bat.
The director of the Smithsonian's Global Health Program and the co-author of the study stated that a lot of the coronaviruses may not pose any risk to human health, but when the experts identify the diseases early on in animals, they have the opportunity to investigate the potential threat of the viruses. The best tools that experts have in order to prevent pandemics before they happen are research, education and vigilant surveillance.
