Covid-like virus is discovered lurking in bats in southern China - Daily Mail

The virus, known as BtSY2, is closely related to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid, and is 'at particular risk for emergence'. .

It's one of five 'viruses of concern' found in bats across China's Yunnan province that are 'likely to be pathogenic to humans or livestock', the scientists say. .

The team warn of potential new 'zoonotic' diseases – those caused by pathogens that pass to humans from other animals. .

Evidence already suggests SARS-CoV-2 originated in horseshoe bats (pictured) .

The infecting agent - called a pathogen - in these diseases is able to cross the species border and still survive. .

'We identified five viral species that are likely to be pathogenic to humans or livestock, including a novel recombinant SARS-like coronavirus that is closely related to both SARS-CoV-2 and 50 SARS-CoV,' the team say in the paper. .

'The main take-home message is that individual bats can harbour a plethora of different virus species, occasionally playing host to them at the same time,' Professor Ball, who was not involved in the research, told the Telegraph. .

A virus in bats known as BtSY2 is closely related to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid (depicted in artistic rendering).

The team did not speculate on the origins of SARS-CoV-2, which is related to the SARS-CoV-1 virus that caused the 2002-2004 SARS outbreak.

'Such co-infections, especially with related viruses like coronavirus, give the virus opportunity to swap critical pieces of genetic information, naturally giving rise to new variants,' he said. .

The team did not speculate on the origins of SARS-CoV-2, which is related to the SARS-CoV-1 virus that caused the 2002-2004 SARS outbreak. 

Evidence already suggests SARS-CoV-2 originated in horseshoe bats, although it's likely the virus passed to humans through pangolins, a scaly mammal often confused for a reptile. 

Severe acute respiratory syndrome is caused by the SARS coronavirus, known as SARS CoV

The SARS infection quickly spread from China to other Asian countries

The SARS pandemic was eventually brought under control in July 2003, following a policy of isolating people suspected of having the condition and screening all passengers travelling by air from affected countries for signs of the infection

It was thought to have been the result of someone coming into direct contact with a sample of the SARS virus, rather than being caused by animal-to-human or human-to-human transmission

The symptoms of SARS include: