<p>Coronaviruses (CoVs) are enveloped viruses, and belong to the family <em>Coronaviridae</em>, the order <em>Nidovirales</em>. CoVs distribute widely among animals and primarily cause the respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases. Since 2012, an outbreak of new human coronavirus, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia has spread to 26 different countries and become a global threat. Here this article reviewed recent studies about the emergence, reservoir of MERS-CoV, and the animal models and treatments for MERS-CoV.</p><p> </p>