New Wuhan virus: Experts warn of threatening pandemic risk!

New Wuhan virus: Experts warn of threatening pandemic risk!

The latest virus, which has come into the focus of global health policy, bears the name HKU5-COV-2 and could prove to be potentially dangerous for humans. As Compact , it comes from bats and could spread through mutations. The renowned virologist Michael Letko warns that HKU5-COV-2 is only a small mutation away from triggering an infection in humans.

This virus was isolated by Shi Zhengli and her team at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and bred in human cell cultures. The parallels to Sars-Cov-2 are evident, which is still fueling the discussion about gain-of-function research and their risks. Critics express concerns about the intention behind such research and the recently decided Pandemie Treaty of the WHO, while they indicate the possible dangers of new virus warnings.

Risks of gain-of-function research

HKU5-COV-2 belongs to the Merbecoviren family, which have a remarkable genetic diversity. A recently published study in the journal Cell, which was published on March 20, 2025, examines the risk of spillover to humans. The research carried out by a team around Zhli Shi shows that HKU5-COV-2 uses the human ACE2 receptor, which increases the transmission risks, such as pubMed notes.

A Cryo-Em-Analysis has found that HKU5-COV-2 has a better adaptation to the human ACE2 than other variants. This property could mean that the virus can infect more human cell lines, which intensifies the dangers of a pandemic spread.

scientific debates and security concerns

Gain-of-function research is increasingly being viewed critically, in particular the Wuhan Institute is the focus of media reports on risky experiments that could possibly have contributed to the origin of the covid-19 pandemic. As Deutschlandfunk , there are worrying information from the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) on possible violations of laboratory safety regulations in China.

The discussion about the ethical and safety -related implications of this research increases. Virologists like Martin Schwemmle urge more about crossing and their zoonotic potential in order to be able to better predict and prevent future pandemics. Critics, including Günter Theißen, urgently warn that dangerous viruses from laboratories could escape through such research.

The challenges of gain-of-function research are complex and raise questions that affect both the scientific community and society. The origin of the next pandemic could be in the laboratories, and while the world is looking at the Virus HKU5-COV-2, the science community is required to act responsibly and take the appropriate safety precautions.