A new coronavirus associated with human respiratory disease in China

Fan Wu, Su Zhao, Bin Yu, Yan-Mei Chen, Wen Wang, Zhi-Gang Song, Yi Hu, Zhao-Wu Tao, Jun-Hua Tian, Yuan-Yuan Pei, Ming-Li Yuan, Yu-Ling Zhang, Fa-Hui Dai, Yi Liu, Qi-Min Wang, Jiao-Jiao Zheng, Lin Xu, Edward C. Holmes and Yong-Zhen Zhang ()
Additional contact information
Fan Wu: Fudan University
Su Zhao: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Bin Yu: Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Yan-Mei Chen: Fudan University
Wen Wang: China Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Zhi-Gang Song: Fudan University
Yi Hu: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Zhao-Wu Tao: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Jun-Hua Tian: Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Yuan-Yuan Pei: Fudan University
Ming-Li Yuan: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Yu-Ling Zhang: Fudan University
Fa-Hui Dai: Fudan University
Yi Liu: Fudan University
Qi-Min Wang: Fudan University
Jiao-Jiao Zheng: Fudan University
Lin Xu: Fudan University
Edward C. Holmes: Fudan University
Yong-Zhen Zhang: Fudan University

Nature, 2020, vol. 579, issue 7798, 265-269

Abstract: Abstract Emerging infectious diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Zika virus disease, present a major threat to public health1–3. Despite intense research efforts, how, when and where new diseases appear are still a source of considerable uncertainty. A severe respiratory disease was recently reported in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. As of 25 January 2020, at least 1,975 cases had been reported since the first patient was hospitalized on 12 December 2019. Epidemiological investigations have suggested that the outbreak was associated with a seafood market in Wuhan. Here we study a single patient who was a worker at the market and who was admitted to the Central Hospital of Wuhan on 26 December 2019 while experiencing a severe respiratory syndrome that included fever, dizziness and a cough. Metagenomic RNA sequencing4 of a sample of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from the patient identified a new RNA virus strain from the family Coronaviridae, which is designated here ‘WH-Human 1’ coronavirus (and has also been referred to as ‘2019-nCoV’). Phylogenetic analysis of the complete viral genome (29,903 nucleotides) revealed that the virus was most closely related (89.1% nucleotide similarity) to a group of SARS-like coronaviruses (genus Betacoronavirus, subgenus Sarbecovirus) that had previously been found in bats in China5. This outbreak highlights the ongoing ability of viral spill-over from animals to cause severe disease in humans.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2008-3

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