Researchers in the UK have identified a coronavirus closely related to SARS-CoV-2 in a bat—the first such find in Europe. While it currently cannot infect humans, future mutations could change that.
Since SARS-CoV-2 emerged, various animals have been implicated in its transmission to humans, including pangolins, minks, and especially bats. Rhinolophus bat species in Asia are considered the primary reservoir for the virus behind the ongoing pandemic, which mutated to adapt to human hosts.
These bats also inhabit Europe, though their populations have declined. The lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) is one example. In a study published in Scientific Reports on July 19, 2021, researchers from the University of East Anglia analyzed samples from these bats in the UK counties of Monmouthshire and Somerset.
They confirmed that these bats carry coronaviruses from the Sarbecovirus subgenus, which includes SARS-CoV (2003) and SARS-CoV-2 (2019). From fecal samples of about 50 bats, the team isolated a novel virus: RhGB01—the first SARS-CoV-2 relative detected in Europe.
Genetic sequencing revealed RhGB01's close ties to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). Its spike (S) protein shares 77% identity with SARS-CoV-2 and 81% with SARS-CoV. Critically, the receptor binding domain (RBD) structure is incompatible with the human ACE2 receptor, preventing human infection and posing no current threat.
However, experts like Andrew Cunningham from the Zoological Society of London warn of a "crucible of mutations" in bats harboring SARS-like viruses. A alarming scenario: if a bat carrying RhGB01 also contracts SARS-CoV-2, hybridization could produce a new, human-infective variant.
