HKU5-CoV-2: A Stealthy Viral Contender for the Next Pandemic

Abstract: HKU5-CoV-2 represents a newly discovered merbecovirus found in bats, which demonstrates a worrisome property of receptor binding to human ACE2 proteins, similar to SARS-CoV-2. The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 was driven by the zoonotic jump of a coronavirus from bats to humans. Bats carry a wide variety of coronaviruses, and, with the right mutations, some of these viruses may eventually jump to humans. One such virus, HKU5-CoV-2, merits particular attention. Although no human cases of HKU5-CoV-2 infection have yet been reported, the virus shows the ability to bind to the human ACE2 receptor and has recently expanded its host range. Current evidence indicates that HKU5-CoV-2 lacks human infection reports, yet adaptive changes in its spike protein and furin cleavage site remain despite no reported human infections. Concurrent bat transmission and genetic characteristics similar to human pathogens among the population warrant both active surveillance efforts and preemptive healthcare strategies immediately. No human infections or furin cleavage activity have been confirmed.