title: Novel respiratory viruses: what should the clinician be alert for?
abstract: Since 1990, several novel respiratory viruses affecting humans have been described. In this review, we focus on three pathogens that have caused significant human mortality and raise important public health concerns: severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-coronavirus, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-coronavirus and avian influenza A viruses (H5N1 and H7N9). Novel respiratory viruses have the potential to instil fear in the public and physicians alike if they are associated with a high case fatality rate. Those viruses with a significant potential for onward human-to-human transmission (including in healthcare settings) might present significant challenges for national public health services and local hospital infection control.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clinical Infection, James Cook University Hospital, UK and Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK brendan.payne@newcastle.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Brendan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.affiliation: Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bellamy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus; D065207:Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus; D011200:Poultry; D012327:RNA Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome; D015047:Zoonoses
keywords: H5N1; H7N9; MERS-CoV; SARS-CoV; avian influenza; coronavirus