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Mahesh

27/09/22 21:01 PM IST

Khosta-2

In News 
  • As the world is recovering from the onslaught of the COVID pandemic, scientists have flagged concerns over the discovery of a new COVID-like virus — Khosta-2.
  • It is not detected in China but in Russia and is found in bats.
Khosta- 2 virus 
  • The zoonotic virus is capable of infecting humans.
  • This is unlike the Khosta-1, which is also found in Russian bats but cannot easily spread to humans.
  • Khosta-2 has been classified as sarbecovirus, a member of the coronavirus family.
  • It is related to SARS-CoV-2, which is causing a worldwide pandemic.
  • Khosta-2 was discovered in bat samples obtained from Sochi National Park between March and October 2020, when the world was struggling to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2.
  • The pathogen is capable of infecting human cells similar to SARS-CoV-2. It attaches to the ACE-2 entrance enzyme, which is located on the surface of the human cells with a spike-like protein on the surface.
  • While its method of infection is similar to SARS-CoV-2, Koshta-2 is not effective.
  • Scientists have combined the Khosta-2 with serum obtained from individuals vaccinated against COVID-19. They found that the antibodies in the serum were not able to neutralize the pathogen.
About sarbecovirus
  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome–related coronavirus or sarbecovirus is an enveloped positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus that enters the host cells by latching on to the ACE2 receptor.
  • It is capable of infecting humans, bats and other mammals.
Source- Indian Express 

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