Emerging Zoonotic disease "SARS-like virus called WIV1-CoV,"

A zoonotic disease is a disease that can be passed between animals and humans. Scientists have warned that humans should brace for the emergence of a new virus that could be deadlier than Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) , Zika or lassa fever. Its SARS-like virus called WIV1-CoV, it may induce the same results in humans as SARS – starting out with flu-like symptoms and accelerating rapidly to pneumonia. This deadly disease is isolated from Chinese rufous horseshoe bats. Discovery confirms that bats are the natural reservoir of the SARS virus. Phylogenetic analysis shows the possibility of direct transmission of SARS from bats to humans without the intermediary Chinese civets, as previously believed.

The scientists say this virus may never jump to humans, but if it does, WIV1-CoV has the potential to seed a new outbreak with significant consequences for both public health and the global economy.

According to the researchers, the capacity of this group of viruses to jump into humans is greater than originally thought. While other adaptations may be required to produce an epidemic, several viral strains circulating in bat populations have already overcome the barrier of replication in human cells and suggest reemergence as a distinct possibility.

According to reports, the SARS outbreak of 2003 infected 8,000 people – and claimed nearly 800 lives. More recently, the Ebola epidemic that swept through West Africa in 2014, infecting nearly 29,000 people and killing 11,300, serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact an outbreak can have. And, the ongoing Zika crisis in South America, and lassa fever in Nigeria though not on the same scale as Ebola, is yet another example of how a virus can quickly spread.

Each of the outbreaks affected thousands of people – and cost billions in lost economic growth.

Researchers caution, WIV1-CoV could have a similar scope.

The virus spreads through close person-to-person contact by respiratory droplets produced when a person sneezes or coughs.

 “While other adaptations may be required to produce an epidemic, several viral strains circulating in bat populations have already overcome the barrier of replication of human cells and suggest reemergence as a distinct possibility.”

That finding suggests a potent treatment option if an outbreak were to occur.

However, treating WIV1-CoV with antibodies could lead to the same problem that arose with ZMapp – the antibody therapy used for Ebola.