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Novel coronaviruses: The Tip
of an Iceberg?
The
SARS outbreak and (initially) the hunt for the animal reservoir of the
virus resulted in worldwide screening campaigns for coronaviruses, commonly
by using sensitive genetic methods (like RT-PCR) targeting the most
conserved part of the coronavirus genome. Over the past five years, these
efforts more or less doubled the number of known coronaviruses, revealing
for example the ubiquitous presence of members of the group in bats, but
also identifying two additional human coronaviruses (HCoV-NL63 and
HCoV-HKU1). These studies and data significantly broadened the genetic
‘playground’ in coronavirus research and evolutionary
biologists and coronavirus taxonomists are struggling to keep up with the
steady flow of new information.
A (not necessarily
complete) selection of papers describing recently identified novel
coronaviruses is listed below (click on author name to be taken to journal
website):
Human Coronavirus NL63:
van der Hoek et al., 2004; Identification of a new human
coronavirus.
Human Coronavirus HKU1:
Woo et al., 2005; Characterization and complete
genome sequence of a novel coronavirus, coronavirus HKU1, from patients
with pneumonia.
Bat Coronaviruses:
Lau et al., 2005; Severe acute respiratory
syndrome coronavirus-like virus in Chinese horseshoe bats.
Ren et al., 2006; Full-length genome sequences
of two SARS-like coronaviruses in horseshoe bats and genetic variation
analysis.
Poon et al., 2005; Identification of a novel
coronavirus in bats.
Chu et al., 2006; Coronaviruses in bent-winged
bats (Miniopterus spp.).
Tang et al., 2006; Prevalence and genetic
diversity of coronaviruses in bats from China.
Woo et al., 2006; Molecular diversity of
coronaviruses in bats.
Woo et al., 2007; Comparative analysis of twelve
genomes of three novel group 2c and group 2d coronaviruses reveals unique
group and subgroup features.
Chu et al., 2008; Genomic characterizations of
bat coronaviruses (1A, 1B and HKU8) and evidence for co-infections in
Miniopterus bats.
Coronaviruses in other wild-life:
Dong et al., 2007; Detection of a novel and
highly divergent coronavirus from asian leopard cats and Chinese ferret
badgers in Southern China.
East et al., 2004; Coronavirus infection of spotted
hyenas in the Serengeti ecosystem.
Wise et al., 2006; Molecular characterization of
a novel coronavirus associated with epizootic catarrhal enteritis (ECE) in
ferrets.
Bird Coronaviruses:
Jonassen et al., 2005; Molecular identification and
characterization of novel coronaviruses infecting graylag geese (Anser
anser), feral pigeons (Columbia
livia) and mallards (Anas platyrhynchos).
Gough et al., 2006; Isolation of a coronavirus
from a green-cheeked Amazon parrot (Amazon viridigenalis Cassin).
Beluga Whale Coronavirus:
Mihindukulasuriya et al., 2008; Identification of a novel
coronavirus from a beluga whale by using a panviral microarray.
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