Antibodies against MERS Coronavirus in Dromedary Camels, United Arab Emirates, 2003 and 2013

Abstract

Camels were infected with this virus >10 years before the first human cases.

Geographic Distribution of MERS Coronavirus among Dromedary Camels, Africa

“…Results were expressed as relative mean fluorescent intensity (RFU) for each set of quadruplicate spots of antigen, with a cutoff of 4,000 RFU as used by Meyer et al (6). Human CoV OC43 S1 was used as a proxy for bovine coronavirus (BCoV), the latter of which is known to circulate commonly in dromedaries (7,12).…”

“…The serum samples were tested for the presence of IgG antibodies reactive with S1 antigens against MERS-CoV (residues 1-747), severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (residues 1-676), and human CoV OC43 (residues 1-760) by using extensively validated protein-microarray technology, as described (2,3,6,11). Results were expressed as relative mean fluorescent intensity (RFU) for each set of quadruplicate spots of antigen, with a cutoff of 4,000 RFU as used by Meyer et al (6).…”

“…In August 2013, dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) were implicated for the first time as a possible source for human infection on the basis of the presence of MERS-CoV neutralizing antibodies in dromedaries from Oman and the Canary Islands of Spain (2). Since then, the presence of MERS-CoV antibodies in dromedaries has been reported in Jordan (3), Egypt (4,5), the United Arab Emirates (6,7), and Saudi Arabia (8,9). In October 2013, analysis of an outbreak associated with 1 barn in Qatar (10) found dromedaries and humans to be infected with nearly identical strains of MERS-CoV.…”

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus: A Review

“…An analysis of an outbreak of MERS-CoV infection in humans in Qatar in October 2013 found that dromedary camels and humans were infected with a nearly identical strain of MERS-CoV (18). Further studies from Saudi Arabia supported the hypothesis that dromedary camels act as reservoirs of MERS-CoV (17,19). Widespread circulation of different genetic variants of MERS-CoV has been found in camels and the presence of MERS-CoV specific antibodies in samples taken from camels, years earlier.…”

“…There is growing evidences that the dromedary camel is host species for MERS-CoV and plays an important role in the transmission of the viruses to human (15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20). In August 2013, for the first time, dromedary camels were implicated as a possible source of virus causing human infection because of the presences of MERS-CoV specific neutralizing antibodies in dromedary camels from Oman and other countries in the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa (15)(16)(17)(18)(19). An analysis of an outbreak of MERS-CoV infection in humans in Qatar in October 2013 found that dromedary camels and humans were infected with a nearly identical strain of MERS-CoV (18).…”