Evidence of human coroanvirus (229E), in patients with respiratory infection, Iran, 2015: the first report

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are one of the main causes of upper respiratory tract infections in humans. While more often responsible for mild illness, they have been associated with illnesses that require hospitalization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 270 Samples from patients hospitalized with the respiratory infection during the autumn season of 2015 were evaluated for the presence of four HCoVs (OC43, 229E, HUK1, and NL63) using an optimized SYBR green RT-PCR assay. RESULTS: Fifteen HCoV-229E positive samples were identified (5.5 % positive). 85% of positive samples were male with the range of age between 12- 75 years old. CONCLUSION: It is the first comprehensive study on determination of the role of human coronaviruses in respiratory infections in Iran. Our data provide a novel insight into the epidemiology of HCoVs in Iran. Further studies are needed and should include the isolation and molecular characterization of HCoVs in Iran.