Bat-Human Coronaviruses: A Global Health Problem and a Therapeutic Challenge

There are four genera of coronaviruses including α-coronaviruses, β-coronaviruses, γ-coronaviruses, and δ-coronaviruses. α and β-coronavirus can infect mammals, while γ-coronavirus and δ-coronavirus generally infect birds. Four coronaviruses are known to cause mild upper respiratory infection in humans of all ages including infants. The transmission of coronaviruses from animals (birds) to causes respiratory illness has been reported as early as 1969 by Kapikian et al. Communitywide outbreak associated with 229E-like coronavirus has be reported as early as 1970 by Cavallaro and Monto [1-7].