This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)

Authoring team

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, or MERS-CoV) that was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012

  • MERS-CoV is a zoonotic pathogen that causes respiratory infection in humans, ranging from asymptomatic to severe pneumonia (1)
    • in dromedary camels, the virus only causes a mild infection but it spreads efficiently between animals
    • the dromedary camel is the only animal species that has been reported to transmit this virus to humans
    • although the clinical manifestations, as well as transmission, are remarkably different in MERS-CoV-infected humans and dromedary camels, the viruses isolated from these two species are highly similar, if not indistinguishable
      • indicates that host factors play a significant role in MERS-CoV pathogenesis and transmission

  • Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause diseases ranging from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

  • transmission:
    • most of human cases of MERS-CoV infections have been attributed to human-to-human infections in health care settings - however current scientific evidence suggests that dromedary camels are a major reservoir host for MERS-CoV and an animal source of MERS infection in humans (1,2)
      • however, the exact role of dromedaries in transmission of the virus and the exact route(s) of transmission are unknown - strains of MERS-CoV that are identical to human strains have been isolated from dromedaries in several countries, including Egypt, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia
      • the virus does not seem to pass easily from person to person unless there is close contact, such as occurs when providing unprotected care to a patient
      • health care associated outbreaks have occurred in several countries, with the largest outbreaks seen in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and the Republic of Korea

  • clinical features:
    • typical MERS symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Pneumonia is common, but not always present. Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhoea, have also been reported
      • some laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS-CoV infection are reported as asymptomatic, meaning that they do not have any clinical symptoms, yet they are positive for MERS-CoV infection following a laboratory test
        • most of these asymptomatic cases have been detected following aggressive contact tracing of a laboratory-confirmed case

  • prevention and treatment:
    • no vaccine or specific treatment is currently available - however several MERS-CoV specific vaccines and treatments are in development
    • treatment is supportive and based on the patient's clinical condition

  • prognosis:
    • approximately 35% of reported patients with MERS-CoV infection have died (2)

Reference:


Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.