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Study Human cold virus originally transmitted by camels
Surely you've had a cold in your life before. But did you also know that the human cold originated in camels? Researchers now made an unexpected discovery in their research on MERS. They found that one of the common colds has its animal origin in dromedaries. The dreaded MERS virus also comes from the camels.
Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn found in an investigation that the origin of our human colds actually has its animal origin in dromedaries. The experts from Germany published a press release on the results of their study. In addition, the findings were published in the English-language Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Physicians have discovered that the human cold virus HCoV-229E originated from camels. Over time, the virus adapted optimally to us humans. Some researchers now fear that this could happen at some point with the MERS virus. (Image: Monkey Business / fotolia.com) Physicians find the origin of the HCoV-229E cold virus
There are four human so-called coronaviruses that are spread throughout the world. In addition to the rhinoviruses known to us, the coronaviruses are also responsible for colds, the authors explain. Most of these infections are relatively harmless in humans. The German scientists from Bonn succeeded in determining the origin of one of the four human cold coronaviruses named HCoV-229E.
HCoV-229E and MERS both come from camels
The author Christian Drosten from the University Hospital Bonn explains that HCoV-229E as well as the dreaded MERS virus are descended from camels. The so-called Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus was first detected in humans in 2012. MERS is a coronavirus that can cause severe respiratory infections. Often, the disease unfortunately takes a deadly course. It has been known for some time that the MERS coronavirus has its animal origin in dromedaries, explains the physician.
Researchers are examining about 1,000 camels for their study
The team of scientists worked for the focus on "Emerging infectious diseases" of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF). The medical researchers investigated about 1,000 camels on coronaviruses for their research on the MERS virus. Astonishingly enough, in just under six percent of the camels studied, the experts were also able to discover pathogens that are clearly related to the HCoV-229E cold virus in humans, explains Professor Dr. med. Christian Drosten.
Cold virus transmitted from camels to humans
Further molecular genetic studies comparing cold viruses in dromedaries, bats and humans found that the HCoV-229E cold virus was actually transmitted from camels to humans, says Professor Drosten.
In principle, viruses from camels can also invade humans
The scientists isolated the living cold viruses from a camel. As a result, they were able to discover that these viruses can in principle invade human cells. This is done via the same receptors as the common cold virus HCoV-229E, explain the authors. Fortunately, the human immune system can fend off these camel viruses as well as the human cold viruses, the doctors add.
Human population largely immune to animal cold pathogens
Various tests with human serum and animal cold pathogens have revealed that the human population is largely immune to camel viruses. The reason for this is the widespread use of HCoV-229E in the human population.
Worldwide distribution of MERS not yet possible
But what about MERS viruses in humans? There are always smaller outbreaks through the enigmatic pathogen, say the doctors. However, these are usually only local and limited, for example, to a single clinic. Fortunately, the virus has not yet been able to adapt perfectly to humans, which is why worldwide distribution is not possible, explains Professor Drosten.
The HCoV-229E virus was originally not optimally adapted to humans
Recent studies of the progenitor viruses of the human HCoV 229E virus in camels have shown that these viruses resemble MERS viruses. It has been observed that these progenitor viruses are also not optimally adapted to us humans, continues Drosten.
Was a pandemic the origin of the distribution of HCoV-229E on humans?
What really worries the medical profession is that the worldwide spread of the HCoV-229E virus has been through a so-called human-to-human transmission. Probably this happened in the context of a large pandemic in the past, suspect the German researchers.
MERS vaccine will enter clinical trials next year
So, the current study provides some sort of warning sign regarding the potential for a pandemic threat from MERS viruses. Maybe MERS is also able to go the same way as the HCoV-229E virus, experts suggest. For this reason, there is an urgent need for action. Scientists at the German Center for Infection Research are already working hard to research a reliable vaccine against the MERS virus. The drug is expected to enter clinical trials early next year, scientists say. (As)