Coronavirus Vaccine Development Coronaviruses - 1609 Words

Stephanie Trimboli November 30th, 2015 Virology Research Paper Coronavirus Vaccine Development Coronaviruses became prominent in the last 15 years after two human outbreaks brought them to society’s attention. In 2003 a coronavirus began infecting people in China. It was named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and by the end of the epidemic over 8,000 people had been infected worldwide with more than 800 deaths (Weiss and Navas-Martin 2005). In 2012 a new coronavirus strain lead to another outbreak in Saudi Arabia. This virus was named the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and more than one thousand cases were reported with 30% of infections resulting in death (Malczyk, Kupke et al. 2015). While these were not the first human coronavirus infections identified (HCoV-229E and HCoV-OC43 were identified in the 60’s), they were the first that caused anything more than a common cold, and therefore they caused public alarm (Graham, Donaldson et al. 2013). Research into the viral subfamily intensified in response and scie ntists elucidated more details about the replication, pathogenesis, and evolution of coronaviruses. The ultimate goal is to develop vaccines against the virus and prevent further death. To date, there is no available treatments or vaccines against MERS-CoV or SARS-CoV. Coronaviruses are a genus in the Coronaviridae family, which is in the order Nidovirales. They have a positive sense RNA genome 26-32 kb inShow MoreRelatedThe Middle East Respiratory Syndrome1821 Words   |  8 Pagesrespiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) that was rapidly transmitted across the general population. Transmission was most active within medical institutions, specifically the emergency rooms because of their overcrowded conditions. There are several interventions that can reduce the risk for MERS outbreaks in South Korea; however, the government’s lack of response in 2015 led to an epidemic that was larger than necessary. Furthermore, although there is currently no vaccine for the disease, MER S