Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Quasispecies That Include Homologues of Human Isolates Revealed through Whole-Genome Analysis and Virus Cultured from Dromedary Camels in Saudi Arabia

• DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01146-14
• Publication Date: 2014-04-30T05:58:46Z
• Authors: Thomas Briese; Nischay Mishra; Komal Jain; Iyad S. Zalmout; Omar J. Jabado; William B. Karesh; Peter Daszak; Osama B. Mohammed; Abdulaziz N. Alag...; W. Ian Lipkin
• Keywords: Viral quasispecies; Pandemic

ABSTRACT Complete Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) genome sequences were obtained from nasal swabs of dromedary camels sampled in the Kingdom Saudi Arabia through direct analysis nucleic acid extracts or following virus isolation cell culture. Consensus MERS-CoV same with either template source and identical to published human sequences. However, contrast individual cases, where only clonal genomic are reported, detailed population analyses revealed presence more than one variant dromedaries. If humans truly infected populations, we must entertain a model for interspecies transmission wherein specific genotypes capable passing bottleneck selection. IMPORTANCE In most cases (MERS), route infection causative agent, MERS (MERS-CoV), is unknown. Antibodies viral acids have been found dromedaries, suggesting possibility that they may serve as reservoir vector infection. neither whole sequence nor infectious has isolated dromedaries other animals Arabia. Here, report recovery demonstrate whole-genome consensus indistinguishable, show can be simultaneously MERS-CoV. Together data indicating widespread Arabia, these findings support plausibility role