Researchers in China have identified eight never-before-seen viruses on Hainan, a tropical island located in southern China. These viruses were discovered within rodents, and experts have issued a warning, stressing that there is a significant risk of these viruses potentially infecting humans if they breach the species barrier. The breakthrough was achieved by the scientists entrusted with the responsibility of readying the world for an impending pandemic.
Notably, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College discovered various viruses, including one linked to SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic. They identified these viruses in 682 samples taken from the throats and anuses of 341 rodents in China's Hainan Province between 2017 and 2021.
"We examined over 700 samples from rodents who are living in Hainan and found eight novel viruses. One of the viruses belongs to the same family as SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The viruses were found in rodents, and experts have warned that they have a "high probability" of infecting humans if they ever cross the species barrier", an expert said.
Among the newly discovered viruses, one was identified as a new coronavirus called CoV-HMU-1, belonging to the same group as the one responsible for COVID. Additionally, several other new pathogens were found in different virus categories:
- Two new pestiviruses, related to viruses like yellow fever and dengue.
- A new astrovirus, which is known to cause infections like stomach bugs.
- Two new parvoviruses, which can lead to symptoms resembling the flu.
- Two new papillomaviruses, which are viruses associated with conditions like genital warts and certain cancers in humans.
The study also revealed new pestiviruses and parvoviruses in two rat species, Edwards's long-tailed giant rat and the Sikkim rat, which were not previously known to carry these pathogens.
"The results expand our knowledge of viral classification and host range and suggest there are highly diverse, undiscovered viruses that have evolved independently in their unique wildlife hosts in inaccessible areas," the researchers stated, adding that if these viruses cross the host barrier, they are highly possible to cause zoonosis.
