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 signifi cant human mortality and raise important public health concerns: severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-coronavirus, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-coronavirus and avian infl uenza 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 signifi cant potential for onward human-to-human transmission (including in healthcare settings) might present signifi cant challenges for national public health services and local hospital infection control.