Lack of Association between Infection with a Novel Human Coronavirus (HCoV), HCoV-NH, and Kawasaki Disease in Taiwan

Chang, Luan-Yin; Chiang, Bor-Luen; Kao, Chuan-Liang; Wu, Mei-Hwan; Chen, Pei-Jer; Berkhout, Ben; Yang, Hui-Ching; Huang, Li-Min

We investigated whether infection with a novel human coronavirus (HCoV), called “New Haven coronavirus” (HCoV-NH)—which is similar to and likely represents the same species as another novel HCoV, HCoV-NL63—is associated with Kawasaki disease (KD) in Taiwan. Fifty-three patients with KD were enrolled in our study. Serum, peripheral-blood mononuclear cells, nasopharyngeal aspirates, throat swabs, and rectal swabs from these patients were assayed for HCoV-NL63 by real-time reverse-transcriptase (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the throat swabs, nasopharyngeal aspirates, and rectal swabs were also assayed for HCoV-NH by RT-PCR. All PCR results were negative for both HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-NH; therefore, we did not find any association between HCoV-NH infection and KD in Taiwan