Camel flu could present a serious threat to humans

The virus, which has been identified by scientists in Sao Paulo and Ceara, shares alarming similarities with the killer Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)—lso known as camel flu.

The World Health Organization says that camel flu is less infectious than COVID, but it is more deadly as it kills a third of known patients.

Scientists say that the new virus found in Brazil has a genetic sequence that's about 72 per cent similar to the MERS genome.

Its spike protein - the part of the virus that helps it attach to and enter human cells —also shares 71.74 per cent similarity with the MERS spike protein.

Study author and PhD candidate Bruna Stefanie Silverio said: "Right now we aren't sure it can infect humans.

"But we detected parts of the virus's spike protein, suggesting potential interaction with the receptor used by Mers-CoV."

Further experiments will take place at high-biosecurity labs in Hong Kong to establish the danger that the virus poses to human beings.

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