What are deltacoronaviruses and why do they matter?

Deltacoronaviruses are a subgroup of coronaviruses that, like other coronaviruses, can cause diseases in birds and pigs. Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), however, is now recognized as a potential zoonotic pathogen, meaning the infection can spread between animals and humans. Although PDCoV cannot currently readily infect humans, it can infect different mammalian species, such as pigs, mice, leopard cats, and ferret badgers, making PDCoV’s viral evolution more complicated with prevention and control more difficult if it starts to readily infect humans.