图片来源：东方IC

Preliminary lab results showed a new-type coronavirus had caused the viral pneumonia in central China's Wuhan, according to Xu Jianguo, a Chinese expert who led a team to evaluate the pathogen test results. The newly detected coronavirus is different from known human coronavirus species, including the viruses that had caused SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), said Xu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

病原检测结果初步评估专家组组长、中国工程院院士徐建国表示，实验室初步检测结果显示，武汉不明原因的病毒性肺炎病例的病原体初步判定为新型冠状病毒。引起此次疫情的新型冠状病毒不同于已发现的严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒和中东呼吸综合征冠状病毒。

【知识点】

冠状病毒(coronavirus)是一类主要引起呼吸道、肠道疾病(respiratory and intestinal diseases)的病原体。这类病毒颗粒的表面有许多规则排列的突起(a fringe of bulbous surface projections )，整个病毒颗粒就像一顶帝王的皇冠(royal crown)，因此得名“冠状病毒”。冠状病毒除人类以外，还可感染猪、牛、猫、犬、貂、骆驼、蝙蝠、老鼠、刺猬等多种哺乳动物以及多种鸟类(mammals and birds)。

目前为止，已知的人类冠状病毒(human coronavirus)共有六种。其中四种冠状病毒在人群中较为常见，致病性较低，一般仅引起类似普通感冒的轻微呼吸道症状。另外两种冠状病毒——严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒(Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus)和中东呼吸综合征冠状病毒(Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus)，也就是我们简称的SARS冠状病毒和MERS冠状病毒，可引起严重的呼吸系统疾病。

专家组认为，下一步需结合病原学研究、流行病学调查和临床表现进行专家研判。

A total of 59 viral pneumonia cases were reported by late Sunday, with seven patients in serious condition. Eight patients have been cured of the disease and were discharged from hospital Wednesday, local health authorities said.

截至1月5日晚，共接到59例病毒性肺炎病例报告，其中7人病情严重。当地卫生部门表示，已有8名患者于1月8日痊愈出院。

【相关词汇】

人际传播 human-to-human transmission/interpersonal transmission

感染源 source of infection

呼吸系统疾病 respiratory disease

致死率 fatality rate