Wuhan Labs identify new coronavirus from bats that could spread to humans, leading to a new pandemic
In this DML Report…
Chinese scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, led by Shi Zhengli, discovered a new bat coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, which uses the same ACE2 receptors as SARS-CoV-2 to enter human cells, raising concerns about its potential to infect humans, though it does not infect as easily, according to a study published in Cell in February 2025. The virus, part of the Merbecovirus subgenus like MERS-CoV, has a Furin enzyme cleavage site in its spike protein, a feature also found in SARS-CoV-2, which enhances infectivity by aiding cell fusion. The origin of the virus remains unclear, with samples collected from bats across China, but specific locations were not disclosed, prompting questions about whether it could be a naturally occurring virus or a result of lab recombination, especially given the Wuhan Institute’s history of controversial gain-of-function research, including a 2015 study where Shi’s team engineered a bat coronavirus to infect human cells.
Virology expert Lin Xiaoxu, a former director at the U.S. Army Research Institute, highlighted the risks of HKU5-CoV-2, noting that while it may not trigger a global pandemic like COVID-19, it could still cause significant local outbreaks, similar to MERS-CoV, which had a high fatality rate in the Middle East in 2012. Recent research also uncovered two other bat coronaviruses in Russia and the Netherlands that use ACE2 receptors, with unclear sample origins, adding to global concerns about zoonotic transmission. Additionally, a collaborative study published by Wuhan University and the Wuhan Institute introduced the concept of “customized coronavirus receptors,” which could accelerate vaccine development but also risks increasing viral infectivity by enabling viruses to target new cell types, such as brain cells, through lab modifications.
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Lin expressed alarm over the potential misuse of “customized receptor” technology in gain-of-function research, which could lead to viruses capable of cross-species infection or enhanced immune evasion, especially given past biosafety lapses at the Wuhan Institute, where U.S. diplomatic cables in 2018 warned of inadequate safety measures during bat coronavirus experiments. Shi Zhengli, a co-author of the HKU5-CoV-2 study, faced scrutiny during the COVID-19 pandemic for her role in identifying SARS-CoV-2 and her lab’s possible involvement in a virus leak, a theory that gained traction after a 2021 investigation revealed the institute received $3.7 million from the U.S. for coronavirus research in 2019. Lin warned that such research, if not tightly controlled, could lead to a man-made disaster, likening it to a dam failure exacerbating a natural flood, and suggested that the next large-scale epidemic might not be far off.