The Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), established in 1956 in Wuhan, China, is a leading research institution specializing in virology. As part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), it is the only institute in CAS specializing in virology, viral pathology, and virus technology. The WIV focuses on fundamental and applied research in areas like virology, immunology, and biotechnology, including the detection, surveillance, and early warning of emerging pathogens and understanding viral infection mechanisms.
The WIV houses the first biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory in mainland China, which became operational in 2018. The institute has three research centers focusing on pathogenesis, molecular virology, and antiviral research. It also collaborates with international institutions such as the Galveston National Laboratory in the United States, the Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie in France, and the National Microbiology Laboratory in Canada. Researchers at the WIV have been actively studying coronaviruses, including research into the origin of the SARS coronavirus, finding that horseshoe bats are natural reservoirs of SARS-like coronaviruses. In December 2019, the institute investigated cases of pneumonia associated with an unknown coronavirus in Wuhan and found it to be 96% genetically similar to a virus they had discovered in bats.
