Isolation of a Novel Coronavirus from a Man with Pneumonia in Saudi Arabia

TLDR

A previously unknown coronavirus, related to bat HKU4/HKU5 betacoronaviruses and resembling SARS, was isolated from a fatal pneumonia case in Saudi Arabia. The study presents clinical data, virus isolation, and molecular identification of the novel coronavirus. The virus, named HCoV‑EMC, is a novel betacoronavirus that replicates readily in cell culture, causing cytopathic effects such as rounding, detachment, and syncytium formation.

Abstract

A previously unknown coronavirus was isolated from the sputum of a 60-year-old man who presented with acute pneumonia and subsequent renal failure with a fatal outcome in Saudi Arabia. The virus (called HCoV-EMC) replicated readily in cell culture, producing cytopathic effects of rounding, detachment, and syncytium formation. The virus represents a novel betacoronavirus species. The closest known relatives are bat coronaviruses HKU4 and HKU5. Here, the clinical data, virus isolation, and molecular identification are presented. The clinical picture was remarkably similar to that of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 and reminds us that animal coronaviruses can cause severe disease in humans.