Chinese scientists find 8 new viruses from rodents, sparking pandemic risk

The findings, detailed in the journal Virologica Sinica, the publishing arm of the Chinese Society for Microbiology (CSM), showed that the viruses belong to 22 families including arenavirus, coronavirus, astrovirus, pestivirus, parvovirus, and papillomavirus.

They called for further experiments on the viruses to determine exactly what their effects on humans could be.

Of the novel viruses, a new coronavirus dubbed CoV-HMU-1 was found to be a betacoronavirus -- a sub-genre of coronaviruses which includes Covid.

Several new pathogens found in other groups of viruses included two new pestiviruses, which are related to yellow fever and dengue; a new astrovirus, a family of viruses that cause infections like stomach bugs; two new parvoviruses, which can cause flu-like symptoms; and two new papillomaviruses, a family of pathogens that can cause genital warts and cancer in people.

The study also discovered new pestiviruses and parvoviruses in Edwards's long-tailed giant rat and the Sikkim rat species -- neither previously known to harbour the pathogens.

"The results expand our knowledge of viral classification and host range and suggest there are highly diverse, undiscovered viruses that have evolved independently in their unique wildlife hosts in inaccessible areas," the researchers said in the paper.

"If these viruses cross the host barrier, they are highly possible to cause zoonosis.

"The pathogenicity and associated impact of these novel viruses on humans and animals should be evaluated in further studies."