Porcine Deltacoronavirus (PDCoV): From Emerging Swine Enteric Coronavirus to a Potential Coronavirus to Infect Humans

The global dissemination of coronaviruses continues to pose formidable threats to public health and socioeconomic development, making these viruses a major research priority. Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), an emerging porcine enteric virus identified over the past two decades, has resulted in substantial economic losses to the swine industry owing to its high mortality and persistent circulation across the globe. Beyond swine, PDCoV possesses a broad host spectrum and is capable of infecting avian species, mice, calves, and other animals. Most alarmingly, its zoonotic potential was highlighted in 2021 through the discovery of PDCoV genomic RNA in pediatric samples from Haiti, highlighting its potential to become the eighth coronavirus species known to infect humans. Despite these dual veterinary and public health threats, licensed vaccines and specific human therapeutics remain unavailable. These facts highlight an urgent demand for comprehensive and in-depth studies on PDCoV to mitigate its potential risks and forestall future outbreaks. This comprehensive review summarizes the latest research advances in PDCoV in four aspects: biological characteristics, epidemiology, pathogenic mechanisms, and antibody development. It is expected that this review can provide a robust theoretical basis for understanding PDCoV infection dynamics and accelerating the development of next-generation, broad-spectrum antiviral strategies to mitigate future interspecies spillover events.