Skip to main content
Download PDF

A novel human coronavirus: Middle East respiratory syndrome human coronavirus

Science China Life Sciences volume 56, pages 683–687 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

In 2012, a novel coronavirus, initially named as human coronavirus EMC (HCoV-EMC) but recently renamed as Middle East respiratory syndrome human coronavirus (MERS-CoV), was identified in patients who suffered severe acute respiratory infection and subsequent renal failure that resulted in death. Ongoing epidemiological investigations together with retrospective studies have found 61 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with this novel coronavirus, including 34 deaths to date. This novel coronavirus is culturable and two complete genome sequences are now available. Furthermore, molecular detection and indirect immunofluorescence assay have been developed. The present paper summarises the limited recent advances of this novel human coronavirus, including its discovery, genomic characterisation and detection.

References

  1. Virus taxonomy, classification and nomenclature of viruses: ninth report of the International Committee of Taxonomy of Viruses. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 2012

    Google Scholar 

  2. Guan Y, Zheng B J, He Y Q, et al. Isolation and characterization of viruses related to the SARS coronavirus from animals in southern China. Science, 2003, 302: 276–278

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  3. van der Hoek L, Pyrc K, Jebbink M F, et al. Identification of a new human coronavirus. Nat Med, 2004, 10: 368–373

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Woo P C Y, Lau S K P, Chu C M, et al. Characterization and complete genome sequence of a novel coronavirus, coronavirus HKU1, from patients with pneumonia. J Virol, 2005, 79: 884–895

    PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Lau S K, Woo P C, Li K S, et al. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-like virus in Chinese horseshoe bats. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2005, 102: 14040–14045

    PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Crossley B M, Barr B C, Magdesian K G, et al. Identification of a novel coronavirus possibly associated with acute respiratory syndrome in alpacas (Vicugna pacos) in California, 2007. J Vet Diagn Invest, 2010, 2007, 22: 94–97

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Lau S K P, Woo P C Y, Yip C C Y, et al. Isolation and characterization of a novel Betacoronavirus subgroup A coronavirus, rabbit coronavirus HKU14, from domestic rabbits. J Virol, 2012, 86: 5481–5496

    PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Wu Y, Gao G F. Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus expands its borders. Emerg Microbes Infect, 2013, in press

    Google Scholar 

  9. Zaki A M, van Boheemen S, Bestebroer T M, et al. Isolation of a novel coronavirus from a man with pneumonia in Saudi Arabia. N Engl J Med 2012, 367: 1814–1820

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  10. ProMED-mail. Novel coronavirus-Saudi Arabia: human isolate Archive Number: 20120920.1302733 20 September 2012 21:51:30 CEST. http://www.promedmail.org/direct.php?id=20120920.1302733

    Google Scholar 

  11. Zaki A M, van Boheemen S, Bestebroer T M, et al. Isolation of a novel coronavirus from a man with pneumonia in Saudi Arabia. N Engl J Med, 2012, 367: 1814–1820

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Bermingham A, Chand M A, Brown C S, et al. Severe respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus, in a patient transferred to the United Kingdom from the Middle East, September 2012. Euro Surveill, 2012, 17: 20290

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Health Protection Agency. HPA Press release. Acute respiratory illness associated with a new virus identified in the UK. London: HPA, 2012. http://www..hpa.org.uk/NewsCentre/NationalPressReleases/2012PressReleases/120923acuterespiratoryillnessidentified/

    Google Scholar 

  14. Woo P C, Huang Y, Lau S K, et al. Coronavirus genomics and bioinformatics analysis. Viruses, 2012, 2: 1804–1820

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Hagemeijer M C, Rottier P J, de Haan C A. Biogenesis and dynamics of the coronavirus replicative structures. Viruses, 2012, 4: 3245–3269

    PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Article  Google Scholar 

  16. McBride R, Fielding B C. The role of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-coronavirus accessory proteins in virus pathogenesis. Viruses, 2012, 4: 2902–2923

    PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Article  Google Scholar 

  17. van Boheemen S, de Graaf M, Lauber C, et al. Genomic characterization of a newly discovered coronavirus associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome in humans. mBio, 2012, 3: e00473–12

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Corman V M, Eckerle L, Bleicker T, et al. Detection of a novel human coronavirus by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Euro Surveil, 2012, 17: 20285

    Google Scholar 

  19. Corman V M, Müller M A, Costable U, et al. Assays for laboratory confirmation of novel human coronavirus (hCoV-EMC) infections. Euro Surveill, 2012, 17: 20334

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Palm D, Pereyaslov D, Vaz J, et al. Laboratory capability for molecular detection and confirmation of novel coronavirus in Europe, November 2012. Euro Surveill, 2012, 17: 20335

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Zhou W M, Lu R J, Geng H Y, et al. Molecular detection assays for 2012 identified novel human coronavirus (HCoV) and probe modification with locked nucleic acid (LNA) (in Chinese). Zhonghua Shi Yan He Lin Chuang Bing Du Xue Za Zhi, 2012, 26: 401–404

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Müller M A, Raj V S, Muth D, et al. Human coronavirus EMC does not require the SARS-coronavirus receptor and maintains broad replicative capability in mammalian cell lines. mBio, 2012, 3: e0051512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Lu G W, Liu D. SARS-like virus in the Middle East: a truly bat-related coronavirus causing human diseases. Protein Cell, 2012, 3: 803–805

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Biotech Center for Viral Disease Emergency, Key Laboratory of Medical Virology and Viral Diseases Prevention and Control, Ministry of Health, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China

    HeYuan Geng & WenJie Tan

Authors
  1. HeYuan Geng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. WenJie Tan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to WenJie Tan.

Additional information

This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Geng, H., Tan, W. A novel human coronavirus: Middle East respiratory syndrome human coronavirus. Sci. China Life Sci. 56, 683–687 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-013-4519-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-013-4519-8

Keywords

  • HCoV-EMC
  • MERS-CoV
  • genomic characterisation
  • molecular detection