Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42342927›Full record

ReviewNature microbiology2026

Addressing the zoonotic threat of merbecoviruses.

Xiaoling Li, Mei Kang, Xin-Yi Jiao, Andres Merits, Michael Veit, Félix A Rey, Hui Dai, Xin-Yu Wang, Wan-Ting He, Edward C Holmes and 9 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Nature microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors.

Xiaoling Li *Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Mei Kang *Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Xin-Yi Jiao *Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Andres Merits *Institute of Bioengineering, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8193-0071
Michael Veit *Institute for Virology, Center for Infection Medicine, Veterinary Faculty, Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7638-1829
Félix A ReyInstitut Pasteur, Unité de Virologie Structurale, Département de Virologie, CNRS UMR 3569, Paris, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9953-7988
Hui Dai *Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
Xin-Yu WangDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Wan-Ting He *State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.
Edward C HolmesSchool of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9596-3552
Margus VarjakInstitute of Bioengineering, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
Suresh MahalingamInstitute for Biomedicine and Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3141-8410
Di WangSchool of Intelligent Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China.
Zhiwen JiangDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Shuai Wang *Department of Chemistry, Engineering Center of Catalysis and Synthesis for Chiral Molecules, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Xudong LiSchool of Data Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Zhihang Peng *National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
Na He *Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5560-5312
Shuo Su *Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. shuosu@fudan.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Merbecovirus is a subgenus of betacoronaviruses and exhibits high genetic diversity with a capacity for cross-species transmission. However, beyond Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), our knowledge of the ecology and pathogenic potential of these viruses remains limited. Merbecoviruses were once thought to rely exclusively on dipeptidyl peptidase 4 for cell entry, but recent discoveries have revealed that several members can also engage with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 or aminopeptidase N, expanding their receptor repertoire and potential host range. Here we summarize recent advances in understanding of the receptor usage of merbecoviruses and examine how these insights inform pandemic preparedness and risk assessment. We discuss the development of targeted diagnostics, broad-spectrum antivirals and vaccines, including pan-coronavirus strategies. Together, these advances provide a foundation for predictive surveillance and rational countermeasure design, enabling earlier detection and more effective containment of future merbecovirus spillover events before they escalate into epidemics.

Indexed as

CoronavirusCoronavirus InfectionsViral ZoonosesZoonosesAngiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2AnimalsHumansReceptors, VirusVirus InternalizationAngiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2Receptors, Virus

Identifiers

PMID42342927

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.