Archives of virology
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Archives of virology · Jul 2014
ReviewMiddle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV): evidence and speculations.
In 2012, a novel human coronavirus emerged and was tentatively named "Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus" (MERS-CoV). The high mortality rate of MERS-CoV focused attention on the ecology of the virus. It has been found that MERS-CoV belongs to the group C lineage of the genus Betacoronavirus. ⋯ Recently, the MERS-CoV and its neutralizing antibodies were detected in dromedary camels. Despite the limited number of reported cases of person-to-person transmission, the rapid evolution of the virus poses a continuous threat to humans worldwide. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge regarding the virology, clinical spectrum, evolution, diagnosis and treatment of MERS-CoV infections.
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Archives of virology · Jul 2014
Development of novel AllGlo-probe-based one-step multiplex qRT-PCR assay for rapid identification of avian influenza virus H7N9.
Recently, human deaths have resulted from infection with low-pathogenicity avian influenza virus H7N9 strains that have emerged recently in China. To strengthen H7N9 surveillance and outbreak control, rapid and reliable diagnostic methods are needed. To develop a sensitive quantitative real-time RT-PCR assay for rapid detection of H7N9 viral RNA, primers and AllGlo probes were designed to target the HA and NA genes of H7N9. ⋯ Finally, the diagnostic sensitivities of the multiplex qRT-PCR, virus isolation and TaqMan qRT-PCR were compared using pharyngeal swabs and environmental samples. These analyses yielded positive results in 46.7 %, 43.3 % and 20.0 % of the samples, respectively. The novel multiplex AllGlo qRT-PCR is a rapid and sensitive method to identify H7N9 virus in clinical and environmental samples and can be used to facilitate studies on the epidemiology of H7N9 virus.