Coronaviridae and SARS-associated Coronavirus Strain HSR1

Coronaviridae and SARS-associated Coronavirus Strain HSR1

Elisa Vicenzi, Filippo Canducci, Debora Pinna, Nicasio Mancini, Silvia Carletti, Adriano Lazzarin, Claudio Bordignon, Guido Poli, Massimo Clementi

During the recent severe acute respiratory (SARS) outbreak, the etiologic agent was identified as a new coronavirus (CoV). We have isolated a SARS-associated CoV (SARS-CoV) strain by injecting Vero cells with a sputum specimen from an Italian patient affected by a severe pneumonia; the patient traveled from Vietnam to Italy in March 2003. Ultrastructural analysis of infected Vero cells showed the virions within cell vesicles and around the cell membrane. The full-length viral genome sequence was similar to those derived from the Hong-Kong Hotel M isolate. By using both real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction TaqMan assay and an infectivity plaque assay, we determined that approximately 360 viral genomes were required to generate a PFU. In addition, heparin (100 μg/mL) inhibited infection of Vero cells by 50%. Overall, the molecular and biologic characteristics of the strain HSR1 provide evidence that SARS-CoV forms a fourth genetic coronavirus group with distinct genomic and biologic features.

2004

SARS-coronavirus, isolation, Sequence, plaque assay, real-time PCR, Italy

DOI: 10.3201/eid1003.030683

Emerging Infectious Diseases

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Infectious and parasitic diseases, Medicine

EN