Common cold viruses originated in camels, just like MERS

There are four globally endemic human coronaviruses which, together with the better known rhinoviruses, are responsible for causing common colds. Usually, infections with these viruses are harmless to humans. Researchers have now found the source of ‘HCoV-229E,’ one of the four common cold coronaviruses, to have originated in camels, just like the dreaded MERS virus.