A team of Chinese researchers found a new kind of coronavirus, NeoCov, among bats in South Africa.
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In a study, the researchers said that the virus may pose a threat to humans in the future.
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The World Health Organisation today said that the NeoCov coronavirus, discovered by Chinese scientists, requires further study.
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Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause diseases ranging from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
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The WHO said that it is aware of the development, but the virus requires further study to ascertain if it poses a risk to humans.
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The organisation said that the source of 75% of infectious diseases in humans was wild animals.
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"Coronaviruses are often found in animals, including in bats which have been identified as a natural reservoir of many of these viruses," WHO said.
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The virus is closely related to the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), a viral disease that was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
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WHO also thanked the Chinese researchers for sharing their research in preprint.
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