Origin and Evolution of Pathogenic Coronaviruses

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Microbiol

Specialties Infectious Diseases
Microbiology

Date 2018 Dec 12

PMID 30531947

Citations 2508

Authors

Jie Cui

Fang Li

Zheng-Li Shi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) are two highly transmissible and pathogenic viruses that emerged in humans at the beginning of the 21st century. Both viruses likely originated in bats, and genetically diverse coronaviruses that are related to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV were discovered in bats worldwide. In this Review, we summarize the current knowledge on the origin and evolution of these two pathogenic coronaviruses and discuss their receptor usage; we also highlight the diversity and potential of spillover of bat-borne coronaviruses, as evidenced by the recent spillover of swine acute diarrhoea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) to pigs.

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