MERS-CoV, formally known as Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome, is a new coronavirus first reported in 2012 in Saudi Arabia. About 1,000 infections have been reported to the World Health Organization, including infections in the U.S.
According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Emerging Infectious Diseases, MERS-CoV has been linked to people living in or traveling to countries in the Arabian Peninsula. Camels are especially important because researchers have found antibodies and virus shedding specific to the coronavirus in camels studied. The study was able to conclude a zootonic risk for MERS-CoV infections with people in contact with camels.
Symptoms for MERS-CoV include fever, shortness of breath, cough and in some case diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
The study analyzed 498 serum samples of people in Qatar with and without camel contact and control samples from Europe. 294 of those samples had direct, daily contact with camels. Researchers found MERS-CoV neutralizing antibodies in healthy people with contact with camels not but in people without.
There is limited information about MERS-CoV among people globally. From the data of reported cases, about 37 percent have resulted in death. It is important to note that most of the deceased had underlying medical problems. Most cases are mild to moderate with no major health risks and many may go undetected.
Currently, there is no vaccine for MERS-CoV but the U.S. National Institutes of Health are working on the possibility of developing one.
For more information on caring for an infected person or be evaluated, please visit the CDC.
