Scientists have discovered a new coronavirus in bats in Brazil that is similar to the deadly MERS virus. However, the risks it poses to humans are not yet clear.
Researchers from the capital Sao Paulo and the Brazilian state of Serra, working with scientists from the University of Hong Kong, discovered the new coronavirus and found it to be similar to the Middle East respiratory syndrome virus (Mers-CoV).
The MERS virus was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and has since been reported in more than two dozen countries, with more than 850 deaths.
According to scientists, the genetic sequence of the new coronavirus discovered in Brazil is 72% similar to the genome of the MERS virus.
The study’s author and PhD student Bruna Stefani Silverio said that it is currently unclear whether the virus can infect humans.
