MERS-CoV: current research progress and prospect

Abstract

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are enveloped viruses, and belong to the family Coronaviridae, the order Nidovirales. CoVs distribute widely among animals and primarily cause the respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases. Since 2012, an outbreak of new human coronavirus, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia has spread to 26 different countries and become a global threat. Here this article reviewed recent studies about the emergence, reservoir of MERS-CoV, and the animal models and treatments for MERS-CoV.