New COVID-like virus found in bats could infect humans, resist vaccines, says Study - Video

Published On 2022-09-27T17:28:37+05:30 | Updated On 27 Sept 2022 5:28 PM IST

Overview

A recently discovered virus in a Russian bat that is similar to SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19, is likely capable of infecting humans and, if it were to spillover, is resistant to current vaccines.

A team lead by researchers in Washington State University's Paul G. Allen School for Global Health found spike proteins from the bat virus, named Khosta-2, can infect human cells and is resistant to both the monoclonal antibodies and serum from individuals vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2. Both Khosta-2 and SARS- CoV-2 belong to the same sub-category of coronaviruses known as sarbecoviruses.

Reference:

Seifert SN, Bai S, Fawcett S, Norton EB, Zwezdaryk KJ, Robinson J, et al. (2022) An ACE2-dependent Sarbecovirus in Russian bats is resistant to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. PLoS Pathog 18(9): e1010828. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1010828

Speakers

Roshni Dhar

Roshni Dhar, a Mass com graduate with a soft corner for health happenings, joined Medical Dialogues as a news anchor in 2021. Inspired by her mother who is a gynaecologist, she likes to keep herself and the world updated on the occurring in the medical field. She covers various aspects of health news for MDTV at Medical Dialogues. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751