Coronaviruses in aquatic organisms

Members of the family Coronaviridae are evolutionarily related and are important human and veterinary pathogens that cause respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. The taxonomic classification of viruses is mainly based on genome structure, replication strategy, phylogenetic relationship, and ultrastructure and morphogenesis of viral particles. The family Coronaviridae belongs to the order Nidovirales, and is divided into two subfamilies: Letovirinae and Orthocoronavirinae. The number of coronaviruses isolated from aquatic organisms is negligible; indeed, coronaviruses have only been identified from aquatic mammals, including harbor seal, Bottlenose dolphin, and Beluga whale, and from Pacific salmon.