Novel human coronavirus in an infant patient with pneumonia, Republic of Korea

Abstract

Coronaviruses (CoVs) pose a significant threat to public health, causing a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and outcomes. Beyond precipitating global outbreaks, Human CoVs (HCoVs) are frequently found among patients with respiratory infections. To date, limited attention has been directed towards alphacoronaviruses due to their low prevalence and fatality rates. Nasal swab and serum samples were collected from a paediatric patient, and an epidemiological survey was conducted. Retrospective surveillance investigated the molecular prevalence of CoV in 880 rodents collected in the Republic of Korea (ROK) from 2018 to 2022. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) and phylogenetic analyses characterized the novel HCoV and closely related CoVs harboured by Apodemus spp. On 15 December 2022, a 103-day-old infant was admitted with fever, cough, sputum production, and rhinorrhea, diagnosed with human parainfluenza virus 1 (HPIV-1) and rhinovirus co-infection. Elevated AST/ALT levels indicated transient liver dysfunction on the fourth day of hospitalization. Metagenomic NGS (mNGS) identified a novel HCoV in nasal swab and serum samples. Retrospective rodent surveillance and phylogenetic analyses showed the novel HCoV was closely related to alphacoronaviruses carried by Apodemus spp. in the ROK and China. This case highlights the potential of mNGS to identify emerging pathogens and raises awareness of possible extra-respiratory manifestations, such as transient liver dysfunction, associated with novel HCoVs. While the liver injury in this case may be attributable to the novel HCoV, further research is necessary to elucidate its clinical significance, epidemiological prevalence, and zoonotic origins.