Detection of pancoronavirus using PCR in Camelus dromedarius in Iran (first report)

Coronaviride is a colossal family of viruses that cause a variety of diseases in humans and other animals. As of late, a novel coronavirus, not anterior-optically discerned in humans, has been identified in a denizen of the Middle East. There is growing evidence that the Camelus dromedarius is host species for the virus and plays an important role of a source of human infection. Along these lines, the authors decided to detect coronaviruses in dromedary camels in two high-risk areas of Iran by employing an reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. In the present study, nasal swab specimens were collected from 98 camels (C. dromedarius) traditionally reared in southeast and northwest of Iran. The detection of pancoronavirus was carried out, using RT-PCR. Pancoronavirus RNA was observed in seven cases among 98 nasal swab samples. Among these, 4 positive samples belonged to Azerbaijan province located in northwest of Iran and 3 positive samples were taken from southeast of Iran. The results of this study contribute to raising the hypothesis to the extent of transmission and risk factors for human infection and public health in Iran.