Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026
09:02
Infection of Primary Nasal Epithelial Cells Grown at an Air-Liquid Interface to Characterize Human Coronavirus-Host Interactions
Published on: September 22, 2023
Identification of new human coronaviruses
Krzysztof Pyrc1, Ben Berkhout, Lia van der Hoek
1University of Amsterdam, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. k.a.pyrc@gmail.com
Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy
|April 4, 2007
Summary
Identifying novel human coronaviruses (HCoV) is crucial for understanding respiratory infections. This review explores current methods for discovering new HCoV species and reviews the history of known human coronaviruses.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Human infections with unknown causes pose diagnostic challenges.
- Acute respiratory tract infections are significant causes of human and animal morbidity and mortality.
- Coronaviruses are a notable family of respiratory viruses, with several known human strains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current methodologies for identifying novel human coronavirus species.
- To summarize knowledge on the discovery of known human coronaviruses.
- To highlight the medical importance of identifying new viral agents.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on coronavirus identification.
- Analysis of diagnostic assay limitations in pathogen detection.
- Historical overview of human coronavirus discovery.
Main Results:
- Several human coronaviruses (HCoV) are known, including those causing the common cold (HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43) and more recent emergent strains (SARS-CoV, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-HKU1).
- Limitations in current diagnostic tools hinder the detection of unknown pathogens.
- New viral agents remain a significant challenge in clinical diagnostics.
Conclusions:
- Accurate identification of human coronaviruses is essential for public health.
- Advancements in diagnostic methodologies are needed to detect previously unrecognized viral pathogens.
- Continued research into coronavirus discovery is medically important.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Coronavirus
Coronaviruses, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), are enveloped viruses characterized by their single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome and helical nucleocapsid structure. The hallmark of these viruses is their club-shaped spike (S) glycoproteins that protrude from the viral envelope, facilitating attachment to host cells. Typically, coronaviruses infect the upper respiratory tract, often causing mild or asymptomatic disease. However, certain strains like...
01:26Human Virome
The human body harbors a vast and diverse viral community known as the human virome. The virome includes bacteriophages that infect bacteria, and eukaryotic viruses that infect human cells. Transient dietary and environmental viruses also contribute to this dynamic ecosystem. Estimates suggest the human body may contain on the order of 10¹³ viral particles, though abundance varies widely by body site and detection method.Comprehensive characterization of the virome has become possible only with...
01:23Bacteriophages of the Human Virome
Bacteriophages are found throughout the human body. They may even outnumber eukaryotic viruses, forming an important and dynamic component of the human virome. Indeed, phages represent the most abundant viral entities, with densities in the gut reaching up to 10⁹ particles per gram of fecal matter, and many belonging to orders such as Caudovirales and Microviridae, while a substantial proportion remains unclassified as viral “dark matter.”Lysogeny and Genetic ExchangeIn the gut, bacteriophages...
01:25Rapid Identification of Pathogens
MALDI-TOF MS has transformed clinical microbiology by offering a rapid and reliable method for pathogen identification. The traditional approach to microbial identification typically involves time-consuming culture techniques and biochemical tests, which can delay the initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. MALDI-TOF MS avoids these delays by using characteristic ribosomal protein mass patterns of microbial cells, enabling accurate species-level identification within minutes.Principle...
00:57Viral Recombination
Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.
00:36Viral Mutations
A mutation is a change in the sequence of bases of DNA or RNA in a genome. Some mutations occur during replication of the genome due to errors made by the polymerase enzymes that replicate DNA or RNA. Unlike DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase is prone to errors because it is not capable of “proofreading” its work. Viruses with RNA-based genomes, like HIV, therefore accrue mutations faster than viruses with DNA-based genomes. Because mutation and recombination provide the raw material for adaptive...