A researcher in ecology recently uncovered a new coronavirus living in British bats. Ivana Murphy, a researcher at the University of East Anglia in England, found the virus after collecting droppings from bats identified as belonging to the "horseshoe" species in Gloucestershire. According to the British newspaper "Daily Mail," this marks the first time that "sarbovirus," a term encompassing a number of viruses including "SARS-CoV-2," has been found in bats in the United Kingdom.
Currently, the newly discovered virus, "RhGH01," cannot infect humans, but scientists warn against contact with the animal. A research paper co-authored by the Zoological Society of London, the University of East Anglia, and Public Health England stated that preventing the transmission of "SARS-CoV-2" to bats is crucial amid the ongoing global vaccination campaign against the virus. Researchers did not rule out the possibility of the discovered virus mutating to become capable of infecting humans, urging caution in approaching the bats.
In an interview with "The Times," Ivana stated, "Like all wild animals, if bats are left alone, they pose no threat."
