Evidence from a 2026 receptor study suggests that the hedgehog merbecoviruses tested are unlikely to enter human cells using the receptor they were shown to use in hedgehogs. The study found that these viruses used hedgehog aminopeptidase N (APN), but not human APN, in its experiments. That is evidence of a species barrier—not proof that every hedgehog coronavirus can never infect people.
Can hedgehogs give coronavirus to humans?
The best-supported answer is that the likelihood appears low for the hedgehog merbecoviruses examined so far, but it has not been established as zero. The most direct evidence comes from laboratory tests of viral entry and receptor compatibility, not from the number of hedgehogs that tested positive.
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In 2026, researchers reported that the tested hedgehog merbecoviruses used hedgehog APN as a receptor. Their screen of 30 mammalian APN versions found restricted cross-species use, including no use of human APN in the tested system. This result supports a molecular barrier to entry through that receptor; it is not a clinical estimate of human infection risk and does not rule out every possible strain, route or future mutation. Nature Microbiology study (2026)
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APN is a protein on cell surfaces that can serve as a virus receptor. The 2026 study used cell-based assays, pseudotype experiments and protein-binding assays to identify APN as a receptor for the hedgehog merbecoviruses tested. Its findings are more direct evidence of receptor use than computational predictions alone.
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A 2024 Portuguese study used computational docking to explore possible receptor interactions. Docking can suggest how proteins might interact, but it does not show that a virus can enter human cells or cause infection. The authors called for further investigation of cross-species transmission. Portuguese study (2024)
- Viral RNA detection shows that viral genetic material was present in a sample; it does not establish human exposure or infection.
- Receptor compatibility tests whether a virus can use a particular cellular entry route under experimental conditions.
- Cell entry in an assay is not the same as a documented infection in a person.
- Animal disease findings address effects in hedgehogs, not the likelihood of human infection.
How common is coronavirus in sampled hedgehogs?
Surveillance studies have detected hedgehog coronaviruses in sampled animals. Those results establish circulation in the animals tested; they do not measure the chance that a person will catch the virus.
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| Study and sample | Finding | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Portugal, 2024: 110 hedgehogs sampled at two recovery centers and one environmental organization | 24.5% tested positive for coronaviruses | Detection in that study’s sampled animals, using nested RT-PCR targeting RdRp; not human infection risk. Study |
| Denmark, 2026: 430 hedgehog fecal samples collected before and during the COVID-19 pandemic | 23% (98/430) were positive for Betacoronavirus erinacei; the study reported 16% (31/199) in 2016 and 29% (67/231) in 2021–22 | Detection in the sampled Danish cohorts, not prevalence across all hedgehogs or people. The study detected Betacoronavirus erinacei and found no evidence that European hedgehogs were SARS-CoV-2 reservoirs. Study |
| Poland, 2024: study abstract reports five coronavirus-positive individuals | Whole genomes were sequenced for two Polish Hedgehog coronavirus 1 strains | The abstract does not provide a basis here for estimating wider prevalence; the denominator should not be inferred. Study |
The Portuguese researchers obtained 65% of a full-length genome from one betacoronavirus-positive sample; its closest reported homology was 93.5% to a UK Betacoronavirus erinacei. These genetic details help characterize the virus, but do not by themselves demonstrate an ability to infect humans. Portuguese study (2024)
Is hedgehog coronavirus the same as COVID-19?
No. The coronavirus detected in hedgehogs, including Betacoronavirus erinacei, is distinct from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The Danish study found no evidence that European hedgehogs served as SARS-CoV-2 reservoirs. That finding concerns SARS-CoV-2 and should not be treated as proof that every hedgehog coronavirus is incapable of crossing species. Danish study (2026)
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What is known about illness in hedgehogs?
Human spillover risk and hedgehog health are separate questions. A 2022 Garden Wildlife Health factsheet says a cited British study found no evidence that EriCoV infection was associated with disease in hedgehogs; it also notes that further monitoring is needed to assess possible effects on hedgehog health. That animal-health finding does not establish whether people can be infected. Garden Wildlife Health factsheet (2022)
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What should people take away?
- The receptor evidence supports a low likelihood of entry for the hedgehog merbecoviruses tested, because they did not use human APN in the reported screen.
- That conclusion is limited to the viruses, receptors and experimental systems studied; it does not establish that all possible routes or future viral changes are impossible.
- Positive animal samples show that these viruses circulate in hedgehogs, not that people are becoming infected.
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